Uncertain Future
by Dragon-Raptor
Summary: Sequel to 'Ancient Legacies'. The Blitz have grown together and survived the greatest battle in history. But now old foes return to tear them apart...
1. Beautiful Mornings

**UNCERTAIN FUTURE**

_The Blitz has survied a battle that could have destroyed the world, andthanks to thier efforts the Cybrid threat is gone. But now old foes return to shatter their new found happiness..._**  
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DR: **Okay, the waiting is over! Here's the sequel to my story 'Ancient Legaices'. If you haven't read that, go do so now...

**DR: **Read AL now? Good. This story picks up where AL left off.

**DISCLAIMER: **I don't own Zoids, Earthseige or Battlestar Galatica (if I did I'd have made a continuation of the original series)

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Chapter 1: Beautiful Mornings

Leena slowly drifted awake, her face warmed by the sunlight that slid between the curtains over the windows. But the warm sun was as nothing compared to the warmth coming from the man that lay besides her – Bit Cloud, her new husband.

Leena rolled her head to look at him. Just like every other morning of their honeymoon, Bit was still asleep, his face plastered with his best, most private grin. Different from the normal version that he usually wore, Leena had only become aware of it when the two of them had begun to sleep together. He wore this grin after every session of passion they shared. It was a grin that lacked his usual cockiness, and instead was filled with pure bliss. As on the other mornings, the sunlight highlighted his blond hair, and threw his chest muscles into sharp relief. His arm rested across her body just below her breasts, and their legs were entwined together.

Leena sighed deeply as she looked at his sleeping face. He was so ruggedly handsome, and she so comfortable lying there in his grasp, that she hated having to get up. But her lingering injuries demanded it.

Slowly and gently, she lifted his arm enough that she was able to slide out of his grasp and to the edge of the bed. Reaching down to the floor, she quickly scooped up her underwear and his shirt. She stood up as she slid his shirt on, smiling as she did so.

'_God knows why I bother. It's not like it'll stay on long once he gets up…'_ she thought, recalling how many times they had shed each others clothing. They would dress and then undress each other several times a day.

Her cheeks flushed as she did up enough buttons to persevere her modesty, recalling everything the two of them had been up to since the wedding. Like any newly wedded couple, they had spent every moment together. But after everything they had gone through those few days beforehand, it was hardly surprising they couldn't keep their hands off each other.

Leena smiled as she recalled their first night here. They had barely gotten in the door before they were in the bed together, their desires for each other having reached an unstoppable height. Afterwards, Bit had joked that she'd wear him out with her passion, and she'd countered that he'd be 'up' for it. They'd barely done anything else since.

Leena smirked as she opened the curtains fully. _'Why do we bother? Brad and Na' are the closest to us, and they're way up the valley…'_

Leena looked out at the mass of greenery that surrounded the small cottage. Christian hadn't been lying when he said that these small cottages were the best place for a honeymoon. Set well up a valley in the higher reaches of the mountain that his city sat on, each of the six cottages were tucked into their own little ravine that gave them almost complete seclusion. Leena suspected that at some point tunnels must have been carved in the rock beneath the valley, since each cottage had it's own stream fed by a hot spring, keeping the water pleasantly hot without being so hot that it was uncomfortable to sit in. She and Bit had enjoyed some nice long dips together in that stream.

Leena brushed a stray lock of her hair back as she gently walked through to the small kitchen. The only advantage of Bit sleeping in was that she had a short break every morning where she had a few minutes alone. She wanted to spare her new husband the pain and horror of what she had to do.

Husband.

Leena looked down at her left ring finger, looking at the incredible ring she now wore. She still could not quite believe it; she's to him married! And to Bit Cloud, who had been trying to steal parts from her zoid when she first met him! The universe must have some weird twisted sense of humour if it had decided that the two of them were soul mates.

As on every other morning, a package was laid out on the worktop in the kitchen. With only a small larder and no shops anywhere close by, they needed fresh food regularly. And as before, a note was left on top of the small hamper, written in poor handwriting.

'Dear Bit and Leena Cloud, hope you enjoy the treats thrown in! And you had better be taking care of yourself Leena! Christian'

Leena shook her head. She wasn't sure if she would ever get used to being called 'Leena Cloud'. _'Then again, Na's now Naomi Hunter, and Sarah's now my sister-in-law…' _If someone six months before had told her that Sarah Obscura, one of the top people within the Backdraft, would end up being married to her brother Leon Toros, Leena would have laughed in their face. Right before she punched their lights out.

But it was true; Sarah was now a Toros. Since she'd met her for the first time, Leena had been forced to re-think everything she had thought about the older, blue haired woman. Even at the time, Leena had realised that Sarah was in fact a highly attractive woman, with that tall, slim physique that Leena herself had desired at times. Elegance and grace came naturally to her. And she was still young, only thirty years old. Leena had expected someone more her fathers age of forty-something.

Her personality had also been markedly different from what Leena had expected. Sarah was kind and polite, a gentle figure with a quick mind and a good sense of humour. Sarah herself had admitted that she had been forced to play the role of a cold-hearted bitch in the Backdraft to not only survive, but to protect her young son, Vega. Her sad story had touched Leena's heart.

As she plucked the tubes needed for what she had to do from within the fridge, Leena couldn't help but think about Christian's words. It was still amazing to her that she was related to him, but it was true. He never boasted about having two wives, but it was clear to everyone. Samantha Masters had explained everything to Leena when they first met, just after she had given Leena her inheritance. Without thinking she raised a hand to gently run her fingers over the etched stone of the necklace she had been given. Samantha had received a hand carved Hematite and bronze necklace from Christian, the main stone etched with the continents of Earth, the planet of their birth which both of them had bled to protect. When Samantha had given birth to a daughter that had inherited her bright red hair, Christian had made a second necklace, and it had passed to the daughter. Since then it had passed down the generations, before coming to rest with Leena's grandmother.

But then her mother Sandra had been killed when she had only been four years old, and her grandmother had died a few weeks later. Sam suspected that the death of her beloved daughter had broken her heart. Since Leena had been too young to receive the necklace, Sam had taken it in for safekeeping.

But now it hung round Leena's neck, where it belonged according to Sam. The cool stone resting against her skin gave Leena great comfort.

Of less comfort was what she had to do now. Grimacing she rolled up the right sleeve of the shirt to expose her right forearm as she sat on the worktop. She had been attacked over two weeks ago while out alone in her zoid, in circumstances that in retrospect were very similar to those which resulted in the death of her mother. During the attack, a missile had struck her zoid just below the canopy, causing the fractured panel to shatter. The blast had sent the fragments hurtling inwards towards her. Leena had thrown her arm up to shield her face, an action that according to the doctors had saved her life.

But the scything shards had lacerated her pale skin apart, right to the bone. And while the cuts were narrow, they had been both deep and numerous.

Leena slowly peeled off the slightly elastic coating over the affected area of her skin, before twisting her arm in the light. The network of cuts had all closed up, leaving behind a spider's web of hair thin white lines. The gel that her injuries had been coated with had some pretty amazing properties, since she had healed up pretty quickly. The gel itself was squeezed out of a large tube and spread across her skin, and it dried and hardened when in contact with the air. She had been told to replace the coating every couple of days, or after any serious exertion.

But this was the third morning that she had removed the patch without any noticeable changes in the state of her arm. The cuts themselves had been mostly closed up the morning of her wedding, so it looked like she would be left with this network of scars.

Leena sighed to herself. At least they were fine and barely noticeable. She only saw them because she knew what to look for. Her thigh injury however, was a whole other story. Leena had to brace herself before she began to remove the coating there.

The same missile hit that had sent the hail of razor sharp fragments into her arm had caused a section of armour from the zoid to buckle inwards and driven right through her leg. Leena could still remember the shock and horror she had felt when she saw that massive triangular wedge of metal rammed through her leg, stained with her blood.

But luck must have been looking down on her that day, as the sheet of metal had punched right through without hitting the bone, or severing any tendons, nerves or major blood vessels. As the doctors had told her, 'It was a one in a billion injury.' Had the metal gone just a fraction of an inch higher or lower, it would have been doubtful that she would have ever walked again.

Slowly she removed the cover to expose the injury itself. Bracing herself, Leena began to inspect her thigh. Due to the thicker coat and location, she only had to change the seal a couple of times so far.

There was a marked improvement even over the last time she had done this. The deep puncture on the inside of her thigh had all closed up, leaving behind just a pale line a couple of inches long. The outside of her thigh was still pretty nasty though. The metal shard had not only been triangular in shape, it had also gotten wider towards the base. Therefore the gash on the outside of her thigh had been wider and much longer than on the inside. The gash was about half a centimetre thick, and at least a couple deep. The flesh within the gash was a raw red, while the skin was extremely pale, almost completely white.

Shivering, Leena began to apply a fresh layer of the healing gel to her thigh, making sure to get the thick pale blue liquid down into the gash. She didn't understand how it worked, but somehow the gel vastly improved the human bodies' ability to heal itself.

As she sat there on the worktop, smoothing down the rapidly hardening gel, her thoughts drifted towards the others who were currently taking advantage of Christians generous offer…

x x x x x x

At that moment, Leon and Sarah were just coming down from the heights of passion together. They clung together tightly as they both tried to catch their breaths, waves of passion rolling throughout their bodies. Beads of sweat dotted their skin and caused the thin sheets to cling to them.

Sarah gasped as she tried to bring her body back under control, but it was hard. She had deprived herself of any form of passion for a little over fifteen years, fearing attachments, and now her body seemed determined to make up for all that lost time. As they nearly always had done, Sarah sat astride Leon, his head placed over her heart. She held his head in her cleavage with one hand, while her other was splayed across his shoulders. Her long blue hair hung down her back, almost brushing her hips.

Leon gently nuzzled her, seeking to be even closer to her warmth and scent. Sarah always wore a very fine but delicate fragrance, which when combined with her natural smells drove him wild with passion. He doubted he would ever understand how some cruel and callous man could have abused this wonderful woman. Gentle and wise, she had a wonderful quality that was very hard to find. At times she seemed more like a child than Leena, eyes wide with wonder. Leon understood that she had been forced to go straight from pre-teenager to responsible mother, and so had lost out on some of what should have been the most exciting years of her life. Sarah carried extensive mental scars from her past, most of them inflicted on her when she was barely old enough to understand the subtle nature of the world around her.

But deep within, Sarah Obscura… Sarah _Toros _was a strong person, and had managed to overcome the terrible setbacks life had dealt her. Although she would deny it existed, she had a strong core and was able to remain focused on what needed to be done.

The only exception was when they came together in passion. Then she because lust incarnate, totally consumed by her passion, her every action intended for one purpose: the fulfilment of her desire. And his.

Leon felt no resentment of her actions when they were together like this, even when she had inadvertently caused him harm. Their first night together she had clung to him so tightly that her sharp fingernails had broken the skin on his back, digging into his shoulder blades. As for the hickey… he doubted that the rest of the Blitz would ever let him forget _that._ Still, they didn't hold it against either of them, and that was what was important. Ever since Sarah had been careful not to give him another, but she still dug her nails in rather tightly at times.

Slowly she let him lean back from her, allowing them both to look each other in the eye. Strands of her dark blue locks hung down and framed her face, matted with sweat. Her sea-green eyes looked deep into his warm blue ones, both of them sending to the other their undying love.

He reached up to slowly brush back a stray lock over her ear. "God you look beautiful today Sarah…" He breathed.

"Leon, I'm covered in sweat, and my hairs a mess!" She gasped back. "How can I possibly look beautiful?"

"Because you always are, my love." Leon gently stroked the swell of her hips. "Especially now…" he growled lustfully.

Laughing gently, Sarah bent down to kiss his forehead. "Oh Leon, you say the nicest things. But 'that' is going to have to wait a bit. I'm not as young as you…"

"If you've been talking to Bit, then I could have accepted that as an argument." Leon said as she slowly and reluctantly lifted her self off him. "But I'm only three years younger than you are. And who's been the most lustful between us?" He gently teased her as she slid out from under the sheets.

"Leon!" Sarah voice sounded shocked, but her happy smile as she looked back at him took any sting out of her comment. It was true, of them both Sarah had become the more passionate and frantic lover. During their lovemaking she had constantly pushed him onwards, using her body and words to drive him to greater and greater heights. It was yet another reason why he loved her.

As she stood up and walked across to the wardrobe, Leon took in her splendid figure. Sarah was gifted with that tall, slender build that many women desired. Naturally slim, she almost seemed delicate at times. While not as voluptuous as his sister Leena, Sarah was still put together very well. What was surprising to Leon however was that there was almost no sign of her pregnancy. On such a slimly built women, the signs of a previous child stood out clearly, but somehow Sarah had escaped that. Her every movement was filled with grace and elegance, something Leon had seen the moment he had first set eyes on her. Now, with her shimmering hair hanging down her back and the ease of intimacy, she was able to fully show just how well she moved.

Sarah plucked the thin silk dressing gown she owned, blue naturally. It was one of the few wedding gifts that the rest of the team had not taken back to the Blitz Base with them. As she slipped it on, she looked back at Leon as he lay back on the bed. Sarah knew intellectually that there were other men out there that were physically more attractive than Leon, but to her he was perfect. Leon had that same compact, solid build that Bit and Christian, his distant ancestor, had. But he also had height, making him a much better match for her than the slightly shorter Bit would have. Sarah had always been acutely aware that her above average height made many men uncomfortable, especially zoid pilots, who tended towards shorter types. Leon however was only just shorter than her. There was barely a half-inch between them.

He also had more normal features. Not many understood quite how it happened, but there was a lot of variation of both hair and eye colour amongst the people of Zi. The most commonly accepted theory, and one which had been proved to Sarah within the last couple of weeks, was that during mankind's earlier days on Zi, there had been a fair amount of intermixing with the remaining Ancient Zoidians, who as a race had been given over to a whole range hues. Just within the Blitz there was Leena with red hair and violet eyes, blond Bit with gleaming green, her rich, dark blue tresses and sea-green eyes, Strollers steel grey locks and Pierces teal strands. _'I guess it's not surprising about me and Pierce, considering we're descended from Resse.' _Sarah still found it a little hard to fully come to terms with that small fact. Being descended from one of the most well-known – and feared - Ancient Zoidians was quite a load.

Leon however was distinctly ordinary. Just like his father Steve, his hair was a solid brown, while his eyes were a warm, rich blue. Many had at first thought his eyes were violet, like his sisters, however a closer look would have revealed that they were bluer than hers, more like their fathers. She had looked into those warm depths many times over the last week and a bit, and each time she felt like she had found the roots of the earth that she had always craved. Certainly such times had caused her to submit to her more, basic instincts. The thought made Sarah blush.

Leon stood up himself before enfolding her in his arms. Sarah gratefully fell into his embrace, feeling his solid masculine body beneath her hands. She felt eternally grateful to him for all that he had done for her. He had been the one who had allowed her to at long last come out from underneath the protective shell she had been forced to build to protect herself and her son Vega during their time with the Backdraft. While she had no choice about that part of her life, not a day went by that she did not regret what she had been forced to do. The distance that she had been forced to place between her son and her self had been painful in the extreme, but Vega had never complained. He had understood the reasons fully, and it was clear even to her that he had seen the pain in her eyes when they had to act like they were not related in anyway. In private the two of them had been able to show their real feelings for each other, but as she was dragged deeper into the Backdraft such moments became increasingly fewer. It was only when the Backdraft had fallen that they had at last been free.

It might have all been for nought though had the Blitz Team not taken them both in. Leon had told her about the argument that had raged when Bit had told the others about his little talk with her, Stroller and Pierce. Sarah didn't blame any of them for their views and concerns at the time. She would have been just as concerned had their roles been reversed.

Leon though had been the one who truly allowed her the chance to shine, and encouraged her to be herself. There had been something in air even when they had first met, and now with their marriage, that bond was more powerful than any force on Zi.

Now as on many occasions both before and after their marriage, they embraced each other warmly, not with the desperate passion and lust of just before, but with the warm and enduring love they had for each other. Both of them were content like this, their arms encircling each other.

Leon drew back slightly, just enough so that he could look her in the eye. "I love you Sarah…" he gently said.

"I love you too…" She replied, tears beginning to form in the corners of her eyes as they kissed. Their arms encircled each other that bit more tightly as their lips locked together. They stood like that for some time, drinking of each other's essence. At last the need for air forced them apart.

"I think I'll take a shower." He said gently. "Why don't you see what Christian sent us today?"

Sarah smiled sweetly at his mention of the packages that the almost seven hundred year old man sent them. They nearly always contained a treat of some sort. The last hamper had contained a rich chocolate cake, a very expensive one at that. "Sure."

x x x x x x

Much lower down the mountain, just above the plateau that formed the highest level of the grand city, the man in question sat in his airy office, a chilled glass close by. An early riser by nature, Christian always kept an eye on what was happening in the world. While the total destruction of the Death Saurer had released him and his zoid from their ages old duty, there would always be other battles to fight.

As he waited for the system to bring up the latest planetary news, he turned his chair round to look towards the valley that led up to where the honeymoon cottages were located. Smiling another one of his patented half-smiles, he raised his glass in salute.

'_Enjoy your time up there people. Because I have a feeling that you'll be hitting the ground running…'

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**DR:** Well there you go. A little note to all my fans from AL. I won't be able to mantain the insane posting rate I had at the end of AL (Haven't finished writting this + now have full-time job) As before, we start slow then work our way up... Till next week! Stay tuned!_  
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	2. Early Morning Thoughts & Motion

**DR: **Like the first stroy in this series, this one is gonig to start slow. But I have included more detailed battles. And all you Jamie/Pierce fans, don't worry, they will get together (after a bumpy road...)

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Chapter 2: Early Morning Thoughts & Motion

Several hundred miles away, Vega was the only member of the Blitz team up. Dawn had not yet reached the Blitz base, and the night sky was free from any glow of city lights. Not even Romeo City, forty miles away, marred the view he had of the stars.

Vega Obscura leaned forwards slightly, and set his eye against the eyepiece of the telescope he had received from the infamous Raven, his ancestor. He unconsciously stroked the slightly raised marking that Raven had added to the telescopes casing, an exact copy of the marking on his cheek. The telescope had belonged to Raven long ago, but he had passed it on to Vega, as a mark of respect.

Vega suspected that his mother Sarah would have been less that thrilled to hear that he had been getting up in the early hours to stare up at the night sky, but he had wanted to see what was out there. Besides since they had left the Backdraft she had loosed up around him, giving him more personal freedom. He had been the one who pushed her towards Leon, citing that it was long past time for her to seek her own happiness.

Vega sat back again, thinking about them. He couldn't help but grin as he remembered the first time he and Sarah had come here, almost four months ago. The Blitz had been in Class S barely a month, and were struggling to achieve any kind of success. Bit had hit upon the idea of expanding the team, and so they had first recruited the Fluegel team, consisting of Naomi Fluegel and Leon Toros. It was quite fortunate that they did, since it turned out later that Naomi was pregnant with Brad Hunter's child. A fortuitous accident resulting from a night of passion just before the start of the season, when she had joined the Blitz for a pre-season ball.

Shortly after Bit had run into his mother, along with Pierce and Stroller, both superior ex-Backdraft pilots. Bit had laid out for them the offer of joining the Blitz and gaining a free promotion to Class S. To say that Pierce and Stroller had been stunned was an understatement.

For his part, Vega had been thrilled at the idea. Bit had been his only real opponent before the Royal Cup, and Vega was drawn to battles in search of worthy foes. The idea of going up against the Class S warriors who were delivering to the Blitz an awful pounding was something that Vega could never have given up!

Sarah had warned him that he should know whom he would be living and working with before he decided, so he had suggested that they visit. That simple decision had spawned a whole series of wonderful discoveries, including Naomi's pregnancy, and more importantly, Leon. Vega had sensed almost right away that there was something between his mother and Leon. That night on their way home Sarah had barely been concentrating on what she was doing.

Vega had always felt sorry that his mother never seemed to be happy. She tried for his sake, and revelled in the triumphs he attained, but she never smiled for herself. Even before they had officially joined, Vega had been determined to find a way for Sarah to find happiness.

Luckily for him Leon had also felt the same way about Sarah that she felt about him. It didn't take long for the two of them to come together, despite the circumstances. Vega shivered as he recalled that horrific attack that had preceded their admission of their feelings for each other. His precious Fury had almost died… if it hadn't been for Christian, and his relationship to Derek Calisto who had come to see how they were, the Fury would have been lost.

And now his mother was truly happy, married to Leon. Vega grinned as he considered the situation he was in. While her name changed from Sarah Obscura to Sarah Toros, his remained the same. He doubted that he would ever feel comfortable calling Leon 'Father', but he was certainly part of the Blitz family. The whole team in fact felt like one big family. Even Stroller was a part of it, despite his efforts to remain on the edge. With the three weddings that had taken place just last week, that family was even more tightly bounded together.

Vega leaned forward once more, twisting the dials ever so slightly. Before his eye saw one of Zi's fellow planets, a wondrous gas giant. Swirling bands of blue in a range of shades and hues circled the world, and his sharp eyes picked the faint signs of a silvery ring around the equator.

'_That one I'll call Sarah, after you mom.'_ The colours reminded him of Sarah's wardrobe and her hair, while the ring around the world called to mind the ring that Leon had given her. He knew that the planet most likely already had a name, but to Vega it would always be 'Sarah'. He allowed himself to wonder what it would be like to see that world up close…

'_If I ever get the chance, I'll go there some day. And Fury will be right there with me.'_

x x x x x x

Within the Blitz Base, Jamie slowly blinked his way awake. Glancing at the digital clock by his bed, he saw that he still had a few minutes before his alarm was due to go off. He laid back and stared up at the ceiling.

A wry smile crossed his young face as he allowed his thoughts to roam. The Blitz had gone through an amazing amount of upheaval in such a short space of time; it was stunning that everyone had come through unscathed. Mostly. Leena's horrific injuries were a potent reminder of how close death had been to them.

Jamie's worried wince faded into a grin as he considered Leena. _'Who would have thought she would end up married to Bit?' _Jamie had been there when the two of them had first met, and it had not been pretty. Bit had been sneaking into the Blitz hanger, intent on nicking some zoid parts as compensation for helping Leon earlier that day. But Doc had planed for unwelcome guests, and he had been caught.

But then fate had intervened. The Liger Zero had been sitting in the Blitz hanger for several years, ever since Steve had been conned into buying it. But the zoid proved to be unusable, forcibly removing anyone from its cockpit. No one could pilot it, so it had stood there, gathering dust. But something in Bit had sparked the Ligers interest, and the Liger had _invited_ Bit in.

After that day, the two of them became an unbreakable team, bringing fame and glory to the Blitz, which up till that point had been languishing in the gutter of zoid battle teams. The team had taken all comers, and had nearly always won. In fact, if you didn't include their time in class S, Jamie could count the number of lost battles on one hand. Not even the cheating Backdraft had been capable of beating them.

The thought of the Backdraft caused Jamie's thoughts to turn towards the four members of the Blitz who had worked for the Backdraft. Stigma Stroller, Vega and Sarah Obscura, and most importantly for him, Pierce. Those three pilots had been the Backdrafts best, and that talent shone through. Sarah was not a pilot, but Jamie was indebted to her for taking over the masses of paperwork that he had been forced to do before. Steve, his daughter Leena and Bit were almost incapable of dealing with the daily mundane stuff of running the team, while Brad had only been concerned with getting his paycheck.

However, it was the flyer Pierce that Jamie's thoughts were focused on. The older, taller woman was at once his best friend and an enigma. Whole sections of her past where still shrouded in mystery and Pierce was always uncomfortable talking about her past. She still felt the burning shame of her stepfather, which was why she had dropped her surname. Now she couldn't even recall it.

But the mysteries that surrounded her did not affect Jamie's love for her. Pierce was, in essence, a halfway house between the tall, slender and elegant Sarah and the shorter, voluptuous Leena. Pierce was tall and slender, but not as naturally slim or quite as tall as Sarah. And while Leena won out in feminine curves, Jamie preferred the slightly less obvious features of the long teal haired pilot. Pierce moved with a feline grace that Naomi had before the season, which when combined with her almost regal features made her very desirable. Unlike the others, Pierce generally stayed in her one-piece flight suit, which suited her very well in Jamie's opinion. She also had an honest soul, and could laugh along with anyone else in the team. Quick witted and highly skilled, she was an ideal zoid pilot.

Despite the age gap between them both, they both felt a deep, lasting love for the other. Both had saved the other's life, and they had flown together both in their own zoids and in hers together. When it looked like they were going to die during that 'End of the World' fight as Christian had called it, they had both spoken those three little words that meant so much to both of them. They had both known how the other felt beforehand, but that was the first time they had actually come out and said it.

Afterwards, flushed with the realisation that they had both survived, they had slept in each other's arms. They had not fully submitted to passion though, since they were still taking it easy. And at the time, they were both exhausted, not to mention that Jamie was feeling a little lost with out his Raynos, which had been completely destroyed in that fight.

Luckily Christian had known a few people, and the Raynos was back, as good as ever. The only marked change was the black sections of its hide beneath the green armour were now bronze, a marker left by the bronze organoid that had brought the charred, twist ruin back to life.

Since then, they had returned to sleeping in their own beds, despite some pretty strong urges. Brad and Naomi had plunged right into sleeping together, and look how that turned out! Although their child was a cause to celebrate, it also would put Naomi out of competition for several months. Jamie did not want to force that on Pierce, so they had held back, for now.

Glancing at the clock again, Jamie sighed as he pulled himself upright. The Zoid Battle Commission had called a halt to all zoid battling until the crisis had been dealt with. After that final battle, the season had restarted again for Class A and below. The other Class S teams had wanted to wait a while, to allow the Blitz a little time to enjoy themselves. Everyone held the Blitz up as the heroes of that climatic battle, and as most of the other teams' leaders and members were themselves married, they understood all too well the needs of the Blitz's newly wedded couples.

But it was getting on for a fortnight since the weddings, and the competition had to be restarted soon. Christian had promised that he would bring them back from their honeymoon in time for the new season.

Jamie made his way down the corridor as quietly as he could. He didn't want to wake anyone at this time. He paused before the door to Pierce's room, before slowly opening it to peer inside. Pierce had chosen one of the slightly smaller rooms near the bend in the horseshoe shaped base. Due to the location, her room was shaped like a slice from a very large cake, with both sidewalls coming together as they ran from the outer curved wall to the door. The en-suite bathroom was just to Jamie's left, and just ahead the light of both moons lit up Pierce's bed.

Jamie's breath caught in his throat as he gazed over her sleeping form. Just like him, she had been drained from that battle, and since then she had been sleeping long into each day. The pale moonlight ran across every curve of her face, and turned her teal hair that was splayed around her head almost silvery. She lay slightly twisted onto her side, causing the sheet to swoop up and down in a range of tantalising curves. One slim arm was resting above the sheet, and was laid out across the bed. A slight smile was on her face and her breathing was deep and regular.

Jamie lost track of time as he took in everything before him. She seemed almost angelic there, restful and so desirably female. _'God she is beautiful…'_ He sighed gently, wishing that he could lock that moment away forever. But he knew that things needed doing.

At his sigh, the rounded hump that rested on the end of her bed shifted, and two soft blue eyes turned to regard him. Shaking his head, Jamie stepped forwards as the furry bundle stood up.

"Hello little one…" He whispered to the liger kitten, a wedding gift to the whole team from Samantha. Only a few months old, it was growing fast, and had already become part of the Blitz. The two Ligers in the hanger seemed constantly amused at the tiny thing, despite the radical differences between them and it. Jamie could clearly recall the time he found the kitten curled up on the Liger Zeros nose, sleeping soundly. The kitten appeared to have no fear of any zoid, even the fearsome visage of the Fury or the dominating bulk of the Iguanosaur.

The kitten looked up at him with those big gentle blue eyes, and made a soft cry. Smiling, Jamie gently picked it up before cradling it against his chest. Pierce had practically taken over the care for the small creature, which was why it slept in her room for now. The whole team knew that they would have to do something about getting the liger it's own space, since when it reached maturity it would dwarf any of them and out mass any two of them combined.

"Hush…" He whispered again as he stroked the soft tawny head. "We don't want to wake her." The kitten purred as he slowly backed out of the room, closing the door almost silently.

Still carrying the massive kitten, he made his way down to the main living area. Stepping into the kitchen, he gently set the kitten down on one of the stools. "Now you wait there, and I'll get you something." He told the liger before he stepped towards the walk-in freezer that was built into the rear of the kitchen. He shook his head gently as he opened the thick door. Despite living here now for almost three months, certain aspects of the new base were still a little hard to get used to.

Following Samantha's advice, he quickly filled a shallow bowl with small cuts of meat. 'For the first few months, little and often is the best. After about six months you can start to switch towards fewer, larger meals. Add some milk to the meat for the first few months too.' Jamie slowly added the milk to the bowl, the white liquid turning pink as some of the blood still trapped in the meat seeped out. The liger was watching him as he set the bowl above the hob and turned the heat onto low. Not enough to cook the meat, but enough to raise the temperature up to just above body temperature.

While the kittens' breakfast slowly warmed up, Jamie set to work on his own. He filled the coffee machine to the brim with water before setting it going. While the resident two coffee lovers were currently on their honeymoon, the others here were quite keen on their morning cup. After he set the toaster going for his breakfast, he tested the temperature of the almost evil looking brew on the hob. He smiled as he dipped his finger in. Just right.

Switching the heat off, he gently lifted the bowl off the hob and set it down on the worktop. "As it's just me, you can get up here today." He told the kitten, patting the worktop as he did so. The liger quickly jumped up with all the energy of hungry youth, before making a beeline for the bowl. Pierce tended to make it eat from the floor, since while it might be okay for the kitten to fit on the worktop at the moment, when she got bigger, if she jumped up everything else would be knocked clear off. But Jamie had a soft spot for her, and he just knew that having to eat off the floor while there were so few of them around did not help the kitten bond with them.

Despite the look of the contents, the liger wasted no time in attacking the food before it, wolfing down the small cuts and lapping up the milk. The Blitz had ensured that while it was small, there were plenty of thin, small chunks for the kitten to eat. It would be a while before its jaws and teeth were developed enough for it to handle larger chunks. Jamie was amazed however that despite the kitten's obvious hunger, it was still very neat about eating. Not a drop had been splashed onto the worktop.

As he buttered his toast, he quickly checked the latest mail from the small terminal built into the wall at the end of the worktop. To allow the team to check their mail or call up data from the computer core beneath them without having to go to the main terminal, a number of secondary terminals had been scattered throughout the base. Some like those in their rooms were almost as powerful as the main one, while others like this one were read only. _'Those guys certainly knew how to put this place together…'_

Working quickly and efficiently, he pulled up the day's mail. Surprisingly the amount of junk mail was much lower than normal. Jamie supposed that since the trio of marriages within the Blitz, all those hopeless fans were still in a state of shock. Certainly there had always been dozens of marriage proposals for both Bit and Leena, all from people who had never met the pair and would never have interested either of them.

Aside from the usual death threats against the team as a whole – and Bit in particular – from the few remaining Backdraft groups, there were a few messages that were more official. First off there was one from Derek Calisto. Jamie smiled as he recalled the first time he had met the softly spoken leader of the Raider's team. He had been their first opponent in Class S, and he had passed on a lot of sage advice. Ever since, the Blitz and the Raiders had become both good friends off the field, and the greatest rivals on it.

But it was his connections that had truly indebted him to the Blitz. He was the most direct male descendant of Christian Masters, a man who had a heck of a lot of knowledge and wisdom. Thanks to his intervention, both the Fury and Leena had been saved from certain death. And he was the one responsible for the latest wonder of the zoid world, the Iguanosaur.

Jamie couldn't help but smile in wonder as he thought about that massive zoid. Created from the ruin husks of both of Leena's old zoids, the Iguanosaur was one of the largest zoids around, massing as much as a Gojulas. Jamie would never understand how Christian had merged her old Dibison and the Gunsniper together, but the result was plain to see. Unlike the Gojulas, the Iguanosaur was a four-legged beast, based on an Iguanodon dinosaur. It carried extensive weaponry, and was very rugged. Christian had admitted that he had been as surprised as everyone else when he saw the scale of the new zoid. He had known the final form, but he had envisaged something a little… smaller.

Even more astonishing, the new zoid was also an Ultimate X, just like the Liger Zero and the Fury. The softly spoken and gentle zoid – according to Vega – had been able to help heal the old mental wounds that Leena had carried around since her mothers passing. Getting the new zoid into the hanger had worried Jamie at first, but the Iguanosaur had stepped in with ease. Since it was long but low, the zoid had ended up standing length wise in two of the bays. Currently one of the two spare bays was filled with the ancillary mounts of the Blitz: Naomi's and Sarah's Gustavs, Bit's salvage truck, Pierce's bike, and the four jeeps that now belonged to the team. The Hover Cargo stood as it always had done outside the building. There had been a half-hearted discussion about having the hanger extended a bit more, to allow for additional visiting zoids to have a place to rest in. But so far nothing had come of it.

A message from Doctor Layon was next, saying that he would be willing to help out with the remaining development of the add-ons for the Shadow Fox he had designed. He had given the blueprints to Brad as a wedding gift, at last able to view Brad's theft of the Fox without rancour. He had admitted that he had never expected the Fox to prove so vital in the events of the last few weeks. He only asked that he be allowed to study all their zoids as well, including the Iguanosaur. Jamie could just see the egg-headed zoid scientist drooling at the thought of getting a closer look at the titan. Steve had already planed to ask Layon to help anyway, since with most of their zoids being one-of-a-kind types, getting parts was going to be a nightmare.

The final letter was from the ZBC. It congratulated the team for not only their conduct in the face of terrible danger, but also the recent marriages. But it also showed when the season would be restarted, and included the teams first match. It was most apologetically written, saying how that while they wished to give the newly weds more time off, the demands of the season made that impossible.

Jamie sighed as the kitten walked over, the bowl licked clean. Gently stroking its head he stood up to clean up the bowl and his plate. Once done, he planed to compose a letter to Christian, informing him about the scheduled match. He had let them have his email address so that they could contact him again when needed. Now was that time.

* * *

**DR: **Well that's all for now. Next time we meet up again with Brad and Naomi Hunter, and a certain dragon zoid puts in a short appearance... Till then!  



	3. Prospect of New Life

**DR: **Seems my readers are a little muted.

**Shadow: **Well, you're only updating weekly. Maybe that has something to do with it.

**DR: **Maybe, butt I can't go any faster otherwise I'll be forced to post as I write, which ATM could be even longer...

**Shadow: **Oh well. Anyway, are we going to get some action now?

**DR: **Not quite. First battles chapter five. Just a little more stuff to get out of the way first...

**Shadow: **(sighs and curls up on the floor again)

**Fiona: **Anymore loving?

**DR: **A bit...

**Fiona: **(eye's light up) Oh goody!

* * *

Chapter 3: Prospect of New Life

Naomi sighed in contentment as she leaned back against Brad. "It's almost a shame we have to leave soon…"

Brad could only nod in agreement. Christian had dispatched a message to them while they had been eating breakfast. Jamie had received word of when the season was to restart. As such, the honeymooners had only a couple more days before they had to leave. He had 'suggested' that they make the most of the remaining time.

Exactly what Brad and Naomi were doing at that very moment.

Early on they had discovered the warm stream that ran past their cottage. At one point the bank was made up of smooth stones in a deep pool. The warm water combined with the solid bank created a natural hot tub, almost like their new Jacuzzi back home. Remembering that Naomi had loved sitting in that, letting the warm water caress her expanded belly, the pair of them had begun to spend a lot of time in that pool.

As before, Brad would sit on a submerged rock, the hard surface softened by a layer of moss. Naomi would then sit on his lap and lean back against him. The buoyancy of the water helped support her weight, while Brad had no complaints at all about the arrangement.

Right now she sat slightly askew, her left shoulder resting just beneath his ancestral necklace. Her head was tucked under his chin, and although she couldn't see his face from there, Naomi knew that he had a broad grin plastered on it.

Just like she did. Naomi focused again on her left hand as she gently stroked his upper arm. The ring gleamed in the morning light, a jewel on her finger. A part of her was still amazed that he had proposed, and she expected that there were an awful lot of people out there who felt the same way. Until recently, Brad had been the number one eligible bachelor in the zoid battle world.

'_And now, he's all mine…'_ Naomi smiled happily as she recalled all the fun the two of them had gotten up to since just after she had joined the team. Although her pregnancy was beginning to seriously curtail their 'nocturnal activities', the passion and desire between them remain undiminished.

Brad for his part was almost as stunned that Naomi had wanted to become his wife. The only thing more stunning was that _he _had wanted it too! Although he loved her, he had not been sure about a lasting commitment. But then she told him she was carrying his child, and Brad was not too proud to deny that the thought of a child scared the hell out of him. It also raised an armful of questions, none of which were easy to handle alone.

The most pressing one really had to be: what was he going to do? Would he stay besides Na', and help raise their child together, or would he run away? Since they were both in the Blitz Team, he had known that running was impossible, so he had resolved himself to the uncertain future.

But then that raised other questions. How would their relationship change, since it would have to change after such an event like this? Brad had wrestled with this for a long time, always circling the heart of the matter but never really seeing it. It had been Christian's massive zoid Mnementh who pointed him in the right direction. That ancient, wise and telepathic zoid had – gently - given his mind a swift kick up the backside, which had at last cleared away the fog and revealed the truth.

And thanks to that zoid, he knew not only what his heart wanted; he also knew the gender of their unborn child…

His thoughts were interrupted by Naomi's sudden gasp.

"What is it? You all right Na'?" His voice was filled with worry for not only his beautiful wife, but also his unborn daughter. Naomi sat up a little straighter, her hand on her belly. But as she looked up into his eyes, he saw only joy and wonder.

"I think she just gave me a kick!"

"You sure?" Brads eyes widened in surprise.

"Feel for yourself…" Naomi pulled his hand up off her hip to rest on the expanded form of her belly. Brad half-closed his eyes as he concentrated on the feelings coming from his palm. He could feel her soft skin… wait.

_There,_ a tiny impact. Small, but it was certainly there.

A grin spread across his face again, to match the one of pure joy on Naomi's.

"Certainly a lively one isn't she?" Naomi laughed gently with him.

"I wonder how she'll come out…"

"Well if she looks anything like her mother," Brad half whispered, half growled lustily. "She'll be the most protected and loved child on the whole of Zi."

"Oh Brad…" Naomi almost swooned. She knew that her marriage to Brad would break a lot of teenaged male hearts, but at that moment she didn't care. Despite the heaving weight in her belly and rapidly expanding waistline, Brad was somehow able to keep her feeling young and beautiful. She dragged his head down to kiss him.

Once more they renewed their passion for each other, eyes closed as they drank of the others presence. Brad brought his right arm up to cradle the back of her head, letting his fingers become entwined in her thick, rich dark red locks. Naomi for her part let her hands trail across his shoulders, feeling the rippling muscles beneath the skin, and the solid man under those.

Linked together at the mouth, both of them lost track of time as they sat there in the warm water, the small bundle of new life that they had created together somehow sensing the passions flowing from it's mother and ceasing it's actions for the time being…

x x x x x x

Back at the Blitz Base, Stroller sat in the Elephander, running another set of diagnostics. The Elephander had taken extreme damage in the final battle against the Death Saurer's Cybrid minions, and Stroller was still a little unsure whether the repairs were complete. The techs that had worked on the zoid said they were completely done, and the zoids own systems said the same. But still…

"Thought I might find you here." Stroller looked to his right out of the Elephanders cockpit to regard the owner of the voice, Pierce. A slight smile creased his face as he regarded the younger aerial pilot. She and Sarah were the little sisters Stroller had never had. He still felt a bit responsible for taking them into the Backdraft, and he had done all he could to protect them while he had been inside. But since the Backdraft had fallen… both women had flourished.

Sarah in particular had grown far beyond what Stroller had expected. He had somehow expected that she would recede quietly into the background, but then out of the blue she and Leon Toros had come together. At the time, Stroller had wished them all the best, but had been ready to step in if it looked like Leon was going to break her heart. Sarah was still a young girl in the ways of love, and Stroller doubted that she could have survived another heartbreak.

Fortunately, he had not needed to do so, and now the two of them were together, enjoying the last days of their honeymoon. Leon's shock proposal had stunned Stroller so completely that he had been barely able to string two words together that whole day. But as the shock had worn off, Stroller had realised that Sarah needed someone like Leon, a gentle and caring person with the heart of a gentleman. She needed a man capable, and willing, to let her be herself and find her own strength. Leon, having already fulfilled his own quest of self-discovery, was the perfect person for her.

And now before Stroller stood his other 'charge', Pierce. She too had come into the Backdraft under his wing, and had quickly earned respect from the others in that jaded organisation with her incredible piloting skills. Had she been a ground pilot, Stroller expected that she would have surpassed his own skills. Pierce was one of the few pilots who could handle the raw power and speed of the Storm Sworder, and bring the rare flying zoid to its full potential. That final dogfight over the city was ample proof of that.

But Stroller suspected that she had an extra source for her strength during that flight. And from the look on her face, Pierce had come to him about that.

"Hello Pierce. Something on your mind?" He asked politely. Pierce stood there for a second, tucking a strand of her hair back over one ear.

"Stig, I need your advice about something." Pierce and Sarah were the only one's on the Blitz who knew his nickname, and even then he had insisted that they only use it in private. Pierce's use of it now showed just how serious she was.

"What about?" Stroller asked as he turned to face her. As Pierce sat down on the rim of the gantry before him, she threw a glance towards the row of zoids on the other side of the Blitz Teams hanger. Stroller didn't need to follow her line of sight to know she had looked across towards the Raynos, stood next to her Storm Sworder. "It's young Jamie isn't it?"

"Yea…" she breathed, uncertainty in her voice. "Did you ever… feel the urge to, you know… settle down with anyone?"

Stroller had to sit there for a second, her question a little unexpected. He knew that Pierce and Jamie were attracted to each other, but he hadn't realised just how far things had gone.

"A couple of times…"

"Why didn't you?"

Stroller sighed. "Never really had the opportunity really. Besides quite often the other party was not interested in anything long term." A steel grey eyebrow rose. "Why, you getting cold feet?"

"NO!" Pierce countered hotly. "Just the opposite in fact…"

"Does he return these feelings?"

Pierce could only nod, her head tilted down to hide the flush that crept up her cheeks. Stroller looked at her for a long moment.

Personally he was not sure just what she saw in the younger lad, barely an adult. True he was quite mature for his age, and his alter ego was a master of aerial warfare, but Stroller had always figured that a real relationship needed to be based on something more substantial. He had seen the sparks that flew between them both lately, but he had figured that they were the result of coming down from the incredible rush of that climatic battle. Looked like he was wrong on that front.

"What do you think you should do?" He asked gently.

"Well… part of me wants to 'jump his bones' right now," Her voice was thick with embarrassment. "But the rest of me fears that with his age, anything I do could easily scare him off. And I fear that he'll never try anything himself…"

'"_Jump his bones"? Now that's a phrase I haven't heard in a while…' _Stroller only just managed to not chuckle at Pierce's choice of words. But it certainly was appropriate, considering their careers. And her concerns were definitely valid. Despite his grown up personality, Jamie was still only seventeen years old. There was no way he could be wise to the ways of the world yet. He had talked a bit with both Leon and Brad, and he had learned that Jamie had spent nearly his whole life with either his father or on the Blitz team. With the state of the team before the Royal Cup, Jamie had been forced to take on everything the others couldn't, or wouldn't, do. The poor lad barely had any life. If he were suddenly confronted by a lust filled women wanting _him, _he'd either run screaming for the hills or faint dead away. Neither result would do Pierce any good at all. Stroller remembered the time Leon had told him about how he had found Brad and Naomi together at the end of that pre-season ball. Jamie had flushed bright red during the tale. Clearly the young lad was still quite naïve.

"Mind if I ask, but how far have you two actually gone?"

Pierce's head hung a little lower. "We… we've kissed… and after I… saved him, he sat on my lap…" Stroller couldn't help but smile at the image of the short young lad sitting on her lap during the pitched dogfight.

"Have you told him you love him?" After a pause, she nodded. Her face was almost completely red now.

"Has he said the same?" Another nod.

Stroller had to sit back to digest this. Clearly the two of them were in love, but equally they were unsure of how to go from here. Stroller knew that Pierce, despite her outward appearance, was in fact a rather shy person at heart. She may have been around the world a bit longer and much further a field than Jamie, but really she was not much more experienced with matters of the heart than him. He knew about her stepfather, and how when she left home and joined the Backdraft, she had kept on seeing his type everywhere.

"I think you're going to have to work this one out with him Pierce." He said gently. "But I will stay this: go gently with him. What you do could make or break him. If – when - you 'jump his bones'…" Pierce smiled slightly even as she blushed a bit deeper. "…Then don't come on all at once. Give him an out, and let him set the pace, at least at first."

At last she was able to look up, a tear running from the corner of her eye. "Thank you Stig."

"Thank me after you're hitched with him." He waved her off as she blushed bright red again.

x x x x x x

Leena stood at the end of the path that led up to the cottages, her sight fixed on the small notch that marked the ravine where she and Bit had been staying. The last couple of days had been spent in an almost frantic amount of passion, as if they were stocking up against a long winter. A sigh escaped her lips.

"Sad to be leaving?" Sarah's soft tones bought Leena's head round. Sarah stood before her, a small smile on her lips. Further off Bit, Brad and Leon stood together, catching up with each other and speculating on the season. Naomi was sat a few steps away, a happy smile of her face.

"In a way, but at least he'll always be beside me." Leena answered as she turned to face Sarah. She was once again clad in one of her favourite sets of clothes, her 'battle uniform'. She had left the sky blue gloves off though, as she had no intention of covering her new ring.

"I can understand that." Sarah nodded as Leena took in the face of her new sister-in-law. Her long dress was a lighter shade of blue than her hair, which hug down her back in one long thick glimmering tail. Her face and exposed skin seemed to radiate happiness and love, while the dress clung to and empathized her womanly curves and slim figure. _'No wonder Leon was smitten…'_

"You look like you've enjoyed yourself…" Leena teased, causing a slight blush to touch the older woman's cheeks.

"No more than you, my young friend…" Leena smiled happily as she recalled everything she and Bit had done.

"I mean it Sarah, you're positively beaming."

"Must be a trick of the light." Sarah said, the redness in her cheeks spreading. "I expected to look a little pale actually. We… didn't get out much."

"I can imagine…" Leena grinned conspiratorially. Sarah's smiled widened along with her.

"Look, there he is!" Bit's voice turned both women's heads. There, just cresting the ridgeline was the great and massive zoid Mnementh. Leena couldn't help but be awed as once more she set eyes on that colossal dragon zoid. As both the oldest and wisest zoid on Zi, Mnementh was certainly worthy of respect. And his power! Nothing else on Zi came close!

And yet, at the same time, he moved in ways that no other zoid. His wings flexed and twisted in such subtle ways that no one had even thought of. His legs were all tucked neatly to his body, and his tail was gently curved. If someone had managed to get a real dragon and coat it in form fitted royal blue armour, then the result would have been close to the awe inspiring creature that sailed towards them. The rising sun set a trail of fire running down his spine, the light reflecting off all the golden saw-toothed spikes that ran from the back of his head to the tip of his tail. Truly, he was a king of zoids, with all the majesty and presence that one would expect.

As the huge dragon zoid lazily swooped in, Leena couldn't help but take another look at Sarah's face. The older women's eyes were watching Mnementh, but they kept on flicking towards Leon. Now that she could look closely, Leena realised that it certainly wasn't a trick of the light. Sarah _did _seem to be radiating happiness and joy. A spark danced in her eyes whenever they alighted on Leon, and her lips seemed curved in a permanent smile.

Leena suddenly got a gut feeling. She didn't know how, but somehow she just knew what Sarah was thinking about. _'Could she be seriously considering having another child?'_ Leena's eyes narrowed. _'Does she suspect that she's already carrying one?'_

At that moment Mnementh set down with such grace and skill that barely a tremor ran through the ground. As all four feet touched down, his great wings swung up and folded up, each plate that formed the massive span sliding over the next along like a pack of cards. It was an incredible display as those mighty wings collapsed into such a small space.

The great dragons head lowered, and with a barely audible hiss the canopy lifted. Leena watched as Christian stood up before climbing up over the rim of the cockpit and sliding down the outside. Despite his great age, he still looked barely thirty, and his motions were those of someone half that. As he landed, his legs folded at the knees, and the lower edge of his favoured leather coat barely kissed the ground before he straightened. Just like on the other times she had seen him informally dressed, he wore a pale shirt and rugged blue pants beneath that coat, clothing that seemed to suit him to a tee.

Christian looked over all six of the Blitz Team members before him as he stepped forward. In every face he saw pure happiness and contentment, but each person also had something else in the mix too. Naomi had a note of wonder as she rested a hand on her belly. If he remembered right, about now the child would start getting active. Leon, Bit and Brad were similar in almost all respects, but Sarah and Leena…

Leena looked full of life, but she also appeared to be startled. Christian noted that she had not put a fresh coating on her arm, and her eyes drifted towards Sarah a couple of times.

Sarah on the other hand… If Leena looked full, Sarah was positively beaming. Christian had seen a similar look so many times before; it was clear to him what was going on here. _'Looks like the next generation is forthcoming…' _It also explained the look on Leena's face. Christian had long ago learned the power of women's intuition.

"Well, how are we all feeling?" He asked aloud. "Ready to return home?"

"I guess so…" Brad drawled, before joining in with the laughter of the others. It was the easygoing laughter of close friends, music to Christian's ears.

"Well then, all aboard the Dragon Express! Next stop Blitz Team base!" Even Mnementh laughed at the humour as he shifted one foreleg forwards to form a set of steps leading up to his cockpit with his three toes. To those not used to getting in there, it would be one heck of a struggle to do so unaided.

* * *

**DR: **I know that last bit of humour was a bit lame. 

**Shadow: **a bit? .o

**DR: **I promise a battle is coming. Now, I have to go and write some more. Remember, If you read, review! (The more reviews I get, the more I'll try to set to and finish this story!)


	4. PreBattle Words & Taunts

**DR: **Sorry people for the late chapter, but things have been hectic around here the last couple of weeks. Most notable (and significant) development is my getting a new cpu, far better than my old one. But of course now I have to transfer all my data across... (groans)

**Carter: **Truly a task devised by the devil.

**DR: **You can say that again. Anyway, as compenstation for the delay, I'm posting two chapters now, you lucky devils...

**Shadow: **Come on, less talk, more fighting!

**DR: **Oh, before I forget. I'm no doctor, and I spent most of my biology classes at GCSE watching the fish tank (and more to the point, the young and very attractive woman who sat next to it...) So I'm not sure just what a woman in Naomi's... condition, canand can't do. Just bear with me on this...

* * *

Chapter 4: Pre-Battle Words & Taunts 

Jamie stood there waiting for a few seconds, before he finally decided he had had enough. "Will you please settle down?" He asked the rest of the team firmly.

Everyone else looked at him in awe, since it was rare for the softly spoken and quiet Jamie to raise his voice. Pierce however had a smile of pride on her lips. She knew better than the others the changes that had been going within his head, and how the two halves of Jamie's personality were slowly becoming one.

Now that everyone was quiet, Jamie allowed his voice to return to its normal quite tones. "Thank you. Maybe now I can inform you about the battle we've going to." Christian had brought the wayward members back around noon the previous day, and the team had spent the evening prepping the Hover Cargo for travel. That night had been spent in the transport as it rumbled across the plains to the battle they had later that day. The entire team was gathered in the main cabin, Jamie standing before them all, the main monitor at his back. Even the liger kitten was with them, curled up half on Pierce's lap.

"Our battle today is going to be tough, as we're been drawn against the Helic Team."

"Helic as in the Helic Republic?" Brad asked.

"The same. The team is the Republic's official representation in the ZBC. Its members and zoids are all drawn from the Republic's military forces, so they are all highly skilled, their zoids are tuned to the max, and most importantly, they know how to work together."

"So, who are we sending out there?" Naomi asked from her spot under Brad's arm, a note of concern in her voice.

Jamie grimaced. "All of us."

_That_ certainly got the team's attention. "Their team is that big?" Bit asked, his eye wide in anticipation.

"Bigger. They can field fifteen pilots, including their commanding officer, a Major O'Connell." On the screen behind Jamie the image of a man dressed in the standard Republican uniform appeared. His dark green hair had streaks of grey, and his features were those of an experienced warrior. "He's been in command of the team for almost thirteen years now, all of them in Class S."

"Forty-seven, and he's still in charge?" Stroller's eyebrow rose as he digested that fact displayed on the screen. "He must be good if he can still keep up with his younger pilots."

Jamie nodded. "From what I've gathered, O'Connell rarely fights directly anymore, in fact the word is he's looking for his replacement. When he does take to the field though, it's normally in his personally customised Command Gordos." An image of the squat, solid zoid appeared before the team. Twin light cannons were attached each side of the snout, and an array of communication gear was clustered at the end of the tail, just behind the four sharp looking spikes. Extra armour had been added over the upper leg joints, the only real weak area of the Gordos design, and an array of guns rested on the body itself.

"Make no mistake he is still considered one of the best warriors around, with an uncanny ability to get the right pilot, in the right zoid, to the right place at the right time. Generally he hangs back and provides tactical support for his team."

"So in essence he acts like the person in the backseat of the Raider's Blade Liger?" The Raiders, although small in size by Class S standards, had made their Blade Ligers backseat into a micro command centre. While the others fought, the person sitting there provides tactical oversight. It was the main reason that they had remained a competitive team.

"Correct, but the Majors been playing the game for much longer than either Derek or his son."

"Okay, what about the others?" Brad asked, his face neutral.

Jamie was surprised at how involved the normally 'we'll-make-it-up-as-we-go' team was getting into the briefing. It made Jamie feel just that bit better about having dug out all this data. "Well, like several other teams, the Helic Team has more zoids than pilots. At the last count they had eighteen zoids, all fully loaded. I'd expected their line up to look something like this."

He tapped a control before him, and the holo-projector lit up and displayed a panoramic view of the battlefield. The Blitz teams zoids were lined up on the edge boarding the pilots, while the expected Helic teams zoids were on Jamie's side.

"Whoa, two Gojulas zoids?" Bit asked, his eyes widening. The others all sat up a bit more at Bit's remark. Sure enough, the Helic team had a pair of the towering saurian zoids, both fully kitted out with heavy cannons. They bracketed the Gordos, while a trio of Shield Ligers stood before them. A pair of Command Wolfs stood on each flank, while a Storm Sworder hovered above the Gordos, a Pteras on each wing. Out on the very edges of the field, a Gunsniper stood, each with the cross-member of the 'Wild Weasel' unit that Leena had added to her own Gunsniper. These ones lacked the vertical struts, and so only had the outboard lasers added. Jamie gave the rest of the team a minute to take in all the details.

"Yes Bit, the Helic team has two Gojulas. The bulk of their zoids are mainly Command Wolfs, Shield Ligers and Pteras units, with a couple of Dibisons and Cannon Tortoises for fire support. However I expect them to deploy the Gunsnipers thinking that the high-powered sniper rifles would be more effective that shear artillery." Jamie noted that Pierce had feral grin of anticipation on her lips as she looked at the Storm Sworder on the other team.

"So what's the plan then?" Vega asked, his quiet voice steady but with a hint of excitement underneath.

"Well, of all of us only Bit, Leena and you are capable of taking down a Gojulas alone, maybe Naomi and Stroller too. The Wolfs should not be too much of a problem, but the Ligers will be. I suggest that Brad and Leon hunt the Gunsnipers, myself and Pierce deal with their flyers and Naomi finds a good spot to snipe from. Bit and Vega can charge in and mess with their tactics, while Leena and Stroller can provide fire support." The others in the team expected him to continue, but Jamie remained silent. After several seconds Leena looked at him in confusion.

"That's it? No detailed plans for us to remember?"

Jamie shrugged. "I know none of you'll follow what I suggest anyway, so I might as well not bother giving you detailed plans. I'm trying to be flexible."

"Well good for you Jamie." Leon stood up to pat the younger man on the shoulders. "Now, shall we get ready?"

As everyone began to make the way down to the hanger, Jamie spotted Naomi looking uneasy. He wished that he did not have to put her out there, but the odds were stacked against them on this one. They would need every member of the team today.

x x x x x x

Leena slid her zoid gear into the slot on the Iguanosaur, and watched again in amazement as the zoids systems came up. Grinning happily, she made sure her restraints were fastened firmly before taking a grip of the controls. "Ready for your first taste of Class S battles?"

**#Ready and waiting Leena# **the powerful Iguanosaur roared back, the sounds reverberating around in the forward bay of the Hover Cargo. Due to the size of her zoid, Leena would not be launching out of the catapult like before. She now used the lower forward ramp, as she had done when she had used the Dibison. Beneath her fingers she could feel the huge zoid tense up and then relax. Faintly she could hear the powerful motors that aimed the main turret spool up, and all the other weapon systems status screens flashed green. Before her Strollers Elephander stood, ready and waiting.

"Mobilise Liger Zero Schneider!" Bit's excited voice came over the comm as behind her, the great compartments that stored the Ligers armour conversions rotated round. As the multitude of small robotic arms latched onto the basic armour, Leena kissed her fingertips before rubbing them across the photo of Bit that now was stuck in the corner of her display. _'God I love him…' _

Between them both, Naomi sat within the Snipe Master, uncertainty coiled around her gut. She fully understood that she needed to go out today, but she still felt that she should not. Gently rubbing her belly, she tried to send soothing thoughts to her child. _'Just today, then I'll pull out tomorrow.'_ But still, she worried if she was not making a mistake…

Further up and back within the transport, Pierce and Jamie stood together for a second before climbing into their respective zoids. "Jamie?" Pierce asked, a note of trepidation in her voice.

"Something wrong Pierce?" Jamie asked in concern, looking up into her grey eyes.

"Nothing that won't affect my performance in this battle…" Pierce's voice trailed off, before she bit her lip as she looked into his wide grey eyes. "But afterwards…" At that moment the Hover Cargo shifted, their bodies swaying as the massive transport began to slow down.

"We'd better get in our zoids Pierce. We'll be launching within a minute." Jamie quickly began to scramble up into the Raynos cockpit, completely missing the pensive look that crossed Pierce's face. Sighing with disappointment, she tugged her flight helmet on as she stepped into the Storm Sworders jaw.

Steve and Sarah remained in the control cabin of the transport, the Liger kitten curled up on one of the empty seats. As the rest of the team reported in that they were a go, Sarah looked out across the plains of the battlefield. Sure enough, she could just see a line of white dots on a far dune… the Helic team.

Steve brought the Hover Cargo to a complete stop at the designated point. "Okay team, let's party!" He cried happily as he primed the catapult and opened the forward hold. He was so looking forwards to this battle; he could barely keep his mind on the task at hand.

First out of the catapult was Leon's deep red Blade Liger, the huge metal cat releasing a deep growl as it was launched forth. Sarah smiled happily as she watched Leon expertly land the zoid on the dunes. Despite the dark history of the Liger and her family, she was now at ease around the zoid. Also the man within it was worth any minor discomfort!

The Elephander was making its way out of the lower hold, the heavy footfalls sending minor tremors to the control room, as Brad was catapulted forth. The black and gold Shadow Fox landed almost delicately, using the momentum to spring clear of the landing zone. The angled panels when combined with the stark contrast in colouration made the Fox hard to make out.

Naomi's crimson Snipe Master was next, the smaller zoid being launched a bit further than the others. It was the smallest and lightest on the team after all. Sarah felt a pang of uncertainty at the thought of the heavily pregnant Naomi being out in the battle. True, as she specialised in sniping she would not have to undergo the stresses and loads that the others would, but still…

Stroller had got the Elephander clear now, opening the way for Leena to bring out the Iguanosaur. Steve was all goggle-eyed as he watched the majestic zoid stroll out casually, even though he had seen it before many times. The titanic zoid moved with such grace and ease that it was easy to forget just how big it was. Or just how powerful it was in a fight.

Bit sailed overhead, the orange Schneider armour burning with an inner heat and the multitude of laser blades gleaming. Meanwhile Vega had brought the Fury out from round the back of the Hover Cargo, and Sarah watched as her precious son eased the zoid forwards to stand between Bit and Stroller. Despite her newfound love with Leon, Vega would always have a special place in her heart.

As first Jamie then Pierce launched into the clear air, Sarah watched as the team sorted themselves out into some semblance of a formation. Bit and Vega stood centre stage, both their zoids staring out across the field. Leena was on Bit's left flank, with the Shadow Fox, looking almost miniscule when compared to her massive zoid, further out. Stroller mirrored her on Vega's right, with Leon taking up position even further out. Naomi had her lithe Snipe Master behind Leena, the huge Iguanosarur screening her from the other team. Steve pulled the Hover Cargo back as both their flyer swept in to come to a hover just above the team.

Bit grinned with glee as he looked over the other team. Just as Jamie had expected, the Command Gordos was hanging back behind a screen of Shield Ligers, bracketed by the towering Gojulas zoids. Overhead the Storm Sworder hovered, a Pteras on each wingtip. Both smaller flying zoids were outfitted with a 30mm Vulcan under each wing, the huge guns looking over sized on the small frames. The Ligers sensors also detected the Gunsnipers out on the flanks, not yet in cover but as close as they could be at the start.

The only difference to what Jamie had shown them was that there were only two Command Wolfs. In the place of the other two were a pair of Cannon Tortoises. Bit shook his head. If ever there were a zoid that was totally focused on its gun, it would be the Cannon Tortoise. It truly was the embodiment of the 'smallest body, biggest gun' idea. The zoid consisted of four short stubby legs, a cockpit barely larger than a Gunsnipers, and one massive cannon, which took up most of the internal volume of the zoid's rounded body. Slow and ungainly, the main advantages of the tortoise were the fact that it carried such a large gun, and its small profile. Being squat and low to the ground allowed it to hug every possible speck of cover, and meant that it was easily missed by an inattentive foe. And of course, the ability to carry a gun heavier than any other zoid in that _class_ was not to be underestimated.

Normally Bit would not have been concerned about the tortoises, but his time in Class S had hammered into him the saying that looks could be deceiving. If the Helic Team had decided to field a pair of them against the Blitz over something else, then they had a damn good reason to.

The Gordos hailed the all. "Welcome back to the fight Blitz team." Major O'Connell's stern face appeared before them all. "Now that you've finished playing hero and making like rabbits, we can at last get on with the season."

Bit's eyes narrowed slightly even as he grinned wider. "Well hello to you too Major. I hope that you've got insurance on those nice zoids." Brads long drawled tones contained a lot of humour, but the rest of the Blitz picked up the hidden tones he had been sending out.

"Yea and I hope the restaurant you've picked out is a good one." Bit added. "Zoid battling gives me an appetite."

"Of course it is. I've been waiting for the chance to have a free meal there for a while now." O'Connell fired back, a mote of humour appearing in his eyes.

"So Pierce, long time no see." The new voice that came over the comm was sent from the Helic Storm Sworder according to the Ligers sensors. The man inside wore a dark blue jumpsuit, making an odd contrast to his dark red hair. He grinned broadly, flashing even, white teeth.

"Rico." Pierce's voice was filled with amusement, only just covering her shock at seeing him. "I see your still trying to be a Baron. Even got yourself a Storm Sworder. How much did you have to bribe to get it?"

"Pierce, you know this man?"

"Sure Jamie. He was in the same class as me when I tried for the Barons. He completely failed the course." On the screen, Rico's face flushed red. What Pierce hadn'tmentioned was just _how_ well she knew him.

"You certainly have an impressive collection of zoids there!" One of the Cannon Tortoise pilots spoke up, and Bit was amazed at the view in the cockpit. The lad piloting the zoid was barely older than Jamie, and he appeared to be scribbling into a notebook rapidly, looking up every few seconds at his displays. "Three Ultimate X zoids in one team? Plus two one of a kind zoids and a set of ultra rare ones to boot!" Bit realised that this pilot must be a zoid fanatic, just like Steve Toros. "Wait till my little brother sees these images!"

"Mendez, your not saving your scanner's logs to the zoids memory banks, are you?" O'Connell asked the youth.

"No Sir!" Mendez answered back as his face flushed red. The answer had been too quick to ring true to anyone.

"Well, take a good long look while you can, young man." Leena called out, a wide smile on her face as she gestured not only to her zoid, but also towards herself. "You're not likely to ever get another chance to get such good look at such a beautiful thing." On their private comm line she winked at Bit, letting him know that she was teasing the young lad on the other team. Sure enough the young man was agape as Leena's image came up on screen. Bit could only grin in pride, as his wife was able to make herself look so enticing and desirable while seated within her zoid. Having had the chance to take a _very _close look at her, he knew just how desirable Leena was. And she had always known how to hold herself in the right way to fire the blood of any male around her. In the background of her transmission he could hear the Iguanosaur laughing gently.

**#She sure is a handful Bit…#** The Liger Zero growled.

"I know, and I wouldn't have it any other way."

"So you're the pilot of this so-called 'new super zoid', eh?" The man displayed was thin featured and had eyes like a rats, small and cunning. "That's a lot of zoid for one little girl to handle."

On the screen Leena's violet eyes narrowed to slits, and while her smile remained on her face, a slight shift in the corners turned it from pleasant and carefree to cold and focused. "Little girl?" she said in a dangerously quiet voice. Bit's grin widened as he thought about how much she had changed over the last month, and how the arrogant pilot in his Gojulas was going to get it. While her temper and anger were still there, Leena no longer released it in violent explosions randomly. The new 'focused' Leena was a whole lot more scary than the berserker of even just a month ago.

"Indeed. Something like that doesn't belong in a third rate team like yours. You expanded by recruiting criminals, hardly a sound judgement to me. Besides, that zoid looks too big to be handled effectively by any one person, let alone a small girl. Shouldn't you let one of the men pilot something like that, while you go back to playing with your dolls?"

"Slater, that's enough!" O'Connell snapped at his pilot, showing that he was not happy about the way the friendly pre-match banter had gone.

"It's all right Major, I can handle this." Leena's eyes blazed with fury, but she managed to keep that rage out of her voice. "Firstly, I don't need dolls. I've got a husband to play with." Chuckles drifted across the net after _that_ statement. "Second, myself and this zoid are perfectly in tune with each other. I'd doubt she'd let anyone else pilot her unless I said so."

The officer's eyebrow rose. "Oh, so your another one of those who think zoids have a will of their own. Well, at least you'll not be much of a threat today. I reviewed your record Miss Toros…" A hiss came over the line at his lack of respect. "…And frankly I can't see how you even managed to qualify as a pilot in the first place, let along get into Class S. But I'll be happy to demonstrate how a real zoid warrior fights."

"Well, I'll be happy to show you just how wrong you are." Leena killed the comm to the Helic team with that remark.

"Man, what a jerk." Leon commented. Inside the Blade Liger He shook his head in disgust, while Steve sat there glaring across towards the left-hand Gojulas, from which the transmissions of 'Slater' had come from. How dare he insult his darling daughter! Even he, her father, knew not to call her 'Little Girl'.

"Guys, nobody touches his zoid. He's mine." Leena's voice was now filled with her anger, all the pleasant tones she had used while the other team was online gone. Bit could see in her eyes the cold fury she had before unleashed on the Cybrids. The Iguanosaur also growled, adding its own desire to teach that man a lesson in manners.

"Okay dear, he's all yours." Bit told her. "Just don't do anything stupid, Mrs Cloud."

Leena's eyes softened a little as she looked into his, and she smiled slightly. "Don't worry Bit, those days are long over."

At that point the Judge capsule landed at last, the impact point on a cliff boarding the western edge of the battleground. Quickly the Judge began the battle.

**"Area Scanned, Battlefield set up! The Blitz Team Vs the Helic Team, battle mode 0892. Ready… FIGHT!"**

**

* * *

DR: **

Now don't go away! It's battle time! 

**Shadow: **Yesss...


	5. Pride Cometh Before a Fall

**DR: **As promised, chapter 5 of this story. Time for the world of Class S to learn the full power of the Iguanosaur...

**Leena: **(starts laughing manically) (DR looks at her sharply)

**DR: **I thought I cured you of that trait?

**Leena: **(stops laughing and goes all pale faced) You did...

**DR: **Well, don't slip up again. And get back into the story!

**Leena: **(runs out)

**DR: **Anyway, just to let you knowthere is a _chance_ that 'Ancient Legacies' may be published as a proper booksometime in the near future! (Still at early stages ATM) I will rework it a little (tone down the LOTR bits), and still have to see what the publishers propose, but still... I'll let you know how it turns out! (Of course, IF 'AL' is published, AND makes money, then this story and the planed third one will go the same way...)

* * *

Chapter 5: Pride Cometh Before a Fall 

Even as the judge started the battle, the Liger Zero, Fury and Iguanosaur were already in motion, all three powerful zoids bounding forwards. Both Pierce and Jamie rocketed into the air, while Brad and Leon broke let and right respectfully. Naomi shifted the Snipe Master around, before belting towards a rocky outcrop. With the massive amount of heavy hardware heading towards them, it was easy for the Helic Team to miss the little red zoid.

As they punched through the clouds to meet the Helic's flyers, Pierce was still struggling to comprehend whom she was about to face. _'Rico… here?' _

Stroller swung his sights across the field as the Elephander ambled forwards. While the Elephander would never win any records for speed, it more than made up for that with its durability and strength. Smirking, he aimed the dorsal guns and fired off a long burst, the rounds screaming across the field to tear up the ground just ahead of one of the opposing Command Wolfs, the zoid itself rattled around and tripping up in the newly created uneven ground.

Ahead, he watched as twin long jets of flame leapt from the huge Vulcans on the Iguanosaur, the stream of shells tearing into one of the Shield Ligers ahead. The zoid itself was now belting forwards on its rear legs, the fore limbs tucked in close to the body. Each leg took long strides, the feet hammering the ground while the body remained level and stable. Even from this distance, the banshee's roar of those guns could be heard.

The unfortunate Shield Liger had raised its shield in time, but the shear power of the larger zoids main guns brought the Liger to a complete stop, the multitude of high speed explosive impacts creating one hell of a kick. Slowly, the Liger was forced backwards, despite digging its claws into the ground.

The Helic Gunsnipers were racing for the rocks, but both Brad and Leon were determined to not to let them get into position. Leon engaged the boosters on his Blade Liger, sending the heavy zoid tearing across the plain. The Shadow Fox meanwhile was lopping along, all four legs leaving the ground at points. As he moved forwards, Brad noticed one of the Pteras swooping in behind him. Smiling, he used his thumb control to rapidly swing the laser Vulcan round.

The pilot of the Pteras was just setting up his attack run when the Foxes gun shifted round to point back at him faster that he could follow. Shocked and stunned at the unexpected range of motion of the small zoids weapon, he wasted a valuable second recovering before he banked away to evade the stream of laser pulses that cut up at him. Brad panned the gun around, tracking and trying to lead the small flyer. Realising that the Fox was no easy picking, the pilot tried to break away, but Brad's fire tore into the zoid. The Pteras managed to remain airborne, though it trailed a tail of smoke and one of the Vulcans was ruined.

Major O'Connell stared at his displays with a sense of awe. Centre to the screen was the three Ultimate X zoids. The Liger Zero was centre, the sunlight gleaming from its masses of laser blades. To the left was the Fury; its foot claws suspended just above the ground as the heavy zoids hover jets rocketed it forwards. The dark grey armour and the blood red eyes gave the whole zoid an air of menace, and he knew the Fury's reputation.

On the other side was the massive Iguanosaur, and O'Connell was amazed at how the zoid moved. It was perfectly balanced on its hind legs, while the body was now a solid platform for the heavy weaponry it carried. _'If we had had that during the last war, the Guylos Empire would have been beaten with ease…' _Bringing himself back to the fight, O'Connell focused on his tactical displays. His eyes narrowed as he saw that already one Pteras and a Wolf were damaged, while the Shield Liger that Leena had singled out was out of the fight, its shield overwhelmed by her concentrated fire.

"Men, remember the plan. Concentrate fire on one zoid at a time! Marcus, find that Snipe Master! She could take any of us down from beyond our range…" As both Cannon Tortoises and one Gojulas settled into firing positions, he noticed that Slater was advancing. "Slater, get back in formation!"

Slater refused to answer, instead firing his zoids heavy guns at Leena's zoid. The Iguanosaur jinked left, dodging the incoming shells that crashed down well over. In reply, the side missile pods spat out a total of sixteen missiles, all of which came tearing in to slam into Slater. The towering Gojulas was heavily rocked by the multiple detonations.

O'Connell sighed. Slater was too arrogant by far. He had been around almost as long as O'Connell, and it was no secret that he saw himself as the next leader of the Helic Team. But he was not only arrogant, but his skills were not too good either anymore, not to mention his over confidence. Once, when he first joined the team, he had been good, but now age was eroding those talents.

"Alright, everyone target the Liger Zero!" As one, the rest of the team armed their weapons. The two remaining Shield Ligers opened up their missile pods, while both Wolfs brought their guns to bear. "FIRE!"

It was an impressive salvo, as each zoid fired almost together. Both Ligers spat half a dozen missiles each, while the Wolfs sent linked blasts out from each side. Both Tortoises were rocked back on their stubby legs as their cannons belched fire, while his own zoid and the Gojulas on his shoulder unleashed a heavy barrage.

But more impressive was the way the Liger Zero reacted. Roaring loudly, it flicked from side to side, shells crashing down to each side but never striking. It actually _leapt _over the shots fired by the Command Wolfs, before all the laser blades around the Ligers head and body folded out. The side blades came down, while the five head blades formed up, all pointing forwards. The missiles screamed in, and the Liger was rocked by multiple detonations. However, at least a third of the missiles missed, while almost half only got glancing hits. The liger roared and continued onwards undaunted.

At that point, Major O'Connell realised the talk about the power of the Liger Zero had not been exaggerating. In fact, the rumours might have been _underestimating _the Liger.

The Liger itself didn't carry any guns usable at this range, but the Fury at its side did. Pulse laser blasts stabbed out, and the damaged Command Wolf was blasted clean out of the fight.

In the air, Jamie swept down on one of the Pteras as it tried to make a run on Leon. His belly lasers flashed again and again, sending bolts of coherent light slamming into the lighter zoid. The Pteras wobbled in flight, before rolling over and falling for the plain below. Banking round to go after the second, Jamie glanced upwards towards where Pierce was duelling with the other Storm Sworder. In such a match, with identical zoids, which ever was the better pilot would decide who won. So far Pierce was all over her foe, his manoeuvres getting more and more desperate.

Rico felt a cold trickle of sweat run down his spine as he wrenched his zoid out of Pierce's line of fire. She had certainly improved since they had last seen each other! He was barely holding on in this fight. Every move he could think of she had a counter for. When they had tried for the Barons, they had both been about equal in skill; the only reason he flunked the tests was because he had tended to the women on the base rather than his work, including Pierce. But now…

Naomi settled into position, well away from the centre of the field. Gently caressing her belly once more, she engaged sniper mode. The zoid spun round so that it's tail point towards the battle. Both raised foot claws hammered deep into the ground, while the tail extended and the rifle built within primed. Naomi's seat flattened before twisting around to bring her face to face with the rifle controls. This was the part that she had been worried about, as she was now hanging from the seat supported by the seat restraints. The lap belt was tucked underneath her belly, uncomfortably digging into her, but not enough to worry her at the moment. _'Just got to get through this battle, then I'm out.'_

Vega's face curled into a smile as he cut the hover jets. The Fury responded to his thoughts and straightened out. With the ease of experience, the main gun was primed in plasma mode. Since the plasma cannon required much less power than the charged particle cannon, the system responded very quickly. A glowing sphere of plasma formed in the Fury's open jaws…

Ahead of him, the pilot of one of the Shield Ligers saw this, and his eyes widened in shock. "WATCH OUT!" He yelled as he threw his zoid to the left, just as the Fury fired. The Liger escaped the worst of the beam, but both right legs were badly scorched. The Tortoise behind him, with no warning and lacking the responsiveness of the Liger, didn't have a chance. The shearing plasma beam shot right over the cockpit before slamming into the heavy armour of the Tortoises 'shell'. For all its failings, the Cannon Tortoise was tough, far tougher than its class would suggest.

But when set up against the Fury, even when only using plasma mode, very few zoids could withstand a direct hit. The plasma burned right through the armour, and proceeded to wreak the guns support systems. As the stream cut off, the small zoid stiffened, then collapsed to the ground. The paintwork on the top of the head was blistered from the heat, and the pilot inside found himself sweating buckets. In addition, there was a spreading warm patch between his legs.

Another crashing volley of fire lanced out towards the Liger Zero, but Bit and Liger danced through the barrage unscathed, a broader version of his usual grin on Bit's face. And the Helic Team were suffering for their constant focus on Bit, as both Vega and Stroller were raining fire on them. Naomi's first shot took down the lone Command Wolf, while the central Shield Liger now had a bad limp, as her second round had struck the hip joint with incredible force. And all the while Bit and Liger drew closer…

Theresa, piloting the Gunsniper on the Helic's right flank, smiled as she entered the rocky region. An expert marksman, she knew that the Blitz would struggle to find her with the broken terrain. At least, that's what she thought. The sensors on the Shadow Fox were far more advanced than on regular zoids, and they easily made up the form of the small zoid. Brad smirked as the Gunsniper slowed before starting to climb to a higher point.

To one side of the main battle, Slater's Gojulas zoid was again rocked by heavy fire from Leena and her Iguanosaur. Within the cockpit, Slater himself was cursing up a storm. How could such an inferior pilot be this good? His mighty zoid was forced to take a step back as a long burst of rounds from her main guns slammed into him.

"Mitchell, Kelly, your going to have to use your shields to block the Liger Zero!" O'Connell yelled to his remaining Shield Liger pilots as he continued to fire off volleys towards the rapidly closing Liger Zero.

"Roger that…"

"Yes sir!" Despite the damage to their zoids, both pilots refused to give up.

On the far left of the field, the pilot of the Helic Gunsniper looked over his shoulder in fear. Right behind him and closing rapidly was the Blitz's Blade Liger, the dark red colouration sparking a sense of dread. "Someone help me here!" He called out in alarm. "I can't keep ahead much longer!"

Theresa had finished setting up her position, and quickly swung her sights towards her partner. She zoomed in to get a good look at the burning red Blade Liger, and began to lead it. Before she could pull the trigger though her sensors began to wail. A zoid was getting dangerously close. Looking up, she was treated to the sight of the Shadow Fox running right up the cliff as if it was level ground to get at her. Her jaw dropped.

Bit watched both the damaged Shield Ligers move together; then deploy their shields as one. His eyes narrowed slightly, but his confidence was undiminished.

"Let's get them both at once Liger!" He yelled. "Right down the middle!"

**#Oh yea!# **The Liger responded, before all seven blades began to rotate round to point forwards.

Vega, seeing that Bit was heading right for the Gordos, swung his sights round to focus on the remaining Gojulas, which continued to hurl rounds towards the Liger Zero. In fact, the pilot seemed to be so completely focused on Bit, that he didn't see Vega and the Fury coming in…

Rico dived low, Pierce riding his exhaust. She was all over him! As he punched through the clouds, he saw their remaining Pteras desperately trying to escape the faster and more manoeuvrable Raynos. Suddenly he had an idea, and he acted on it at once. _'Let's see you can keep up with this, Pierce!'_ He dived towards the smaller zoid as she blasted through the clouds.

Brad watched as the Gunsniper he had chased began to unlock itself, but he was already on top of it. The Fox's claws glowed with laser energy, and with one final leap, the black zoid came down on the Helic Gunsniper. The claws dug deep, slicing off one of the wild weasel arms and carving deep into the smaller zoids hips. With one rather pathetic snarl, the Gunsniper collapsed. The Fox, stood still for a moment, unleashed a howl of victory.

The remaining Gunsniper pilot, seeing that he was not going to make it to the rocks, decide to make a stand while the much larger Liger was still a distance away. He stopped his zoid and spun on one foot, bringing his weapons to bear. Both the forearm weapons and the secondary lasers of the 'Wild Weasel' unit opened up, the streams of tracer following the needle thin beams of light. But his fire was panicky, and Leon just simply charged forth, bringing his laser blades into position. The Gunsniper was easily decapitated, the Ligers blade slicing through the thin neck with ease.

O'Connell watched the demise of both his Gunsnipers with regret, but at least they had drawn away two of the Blitz Teams zoids. But that still left their most powerful ones to come right at him… and his close in men.

"Roberts, the Fury's coming right at you!" He yelled as explosions smothered the remaining Tortoise. The Gojulas at his side took a step to the left, startled at how close the Fury had gotten. Both zoids stood there for a second, staring at each other. While they were both based on the same creature, the Fury was leaner and held its body flat, while the Gojulas was upright, towering over everything else. Snarling, the Fury leapt forth, slamming feet first into the Gojulas.

Rico pulled in sharply to the Pteras, before rolling around it and blasting away, startling the pilot. It also startled Jamie, who had just fired on the Pteras. The pilot, evading the shots, jinked the Pteras away from Rico out of reflex… right into Pierce's line of flight.

"Shit!" She cursed as she was forced to drop lower and then roll around the slower, smaller zoid. The Helic pilot, understandably confused, was barely able to maintain level flight. Jamie quickly put him out of him misery with a quick burst from the Raynos's lasers.

Naomi was just lining up her next shot when alarms began to ring around her. Rico, having rocketed away from the other flyers, had seen her stationary zoid, and had snap fired a pair of missiles. One missed and impacted on the rocks nearby, but the other hit her dead on. The sudden impact sent the lightweight zoid staggering about, and Naomi gasped in pain and horror as the lap belt shifted and began to dig in deeper. Terrified, she cancels sniper mode, the seat swinging back around too slowly for her. Once that was done, she scrambled to get the restraint undone, before gently caressing her belly.

Rico began to bank around for another pass, when suddenly his target sent out a general broadcast. "Judge, this is Naomi Hunter. I'm withdrawing from the match."

**"Understood. The Blitz Team Snipe Master is no longer a competitor and is not to be targeted." **

Rico cursed as he saw the chance for an easy kill spill through his fingers. "Coward."

Brad however was alarmed. He knew that anything that would get Naomi to withdraw would have to be serious. "Na', what's wrong?"

Her face in the comm window was pale, terror stricken. "When I got hit, the belt… dug into me…" Her hand was still pressed against her belly, and the lap belt was undone. Brad quickly figure out what she meant.

"Good Lord Na', are you alright?" Both of them knew that he really meant was their child all right.

"I don't know, maybe."

Pierce, having heard everything that went between them, locked her gaze on the other Storm Sworder. Her eyes narrowed as she closed in. Naomi had become like a second older sister to her. If her child was harmed by that punks attack…

Kelly gasped in shock as she watched the Liger Zero continue to charge right at her. All seven of the laser blades were deployed now, and the entire zoid was encased in a glowing energy shell. "Can our shields stop that?"

"Course they will, that's what they're meant to do…" Mitchell's voice was not as confident as his words though.

Leena for her part was enjoying herself immensely. She had closed in with Slater, and had decided to have little fun with him. Her side lasers stabbed out again and again, and each time another of his weapons was taken out. He twisted the Gojulas around, trying to bring working guns to bear, but every time the more agile Iguanosaur jinked away. Leena could sense that her zoid too was enjoying making the arrogant Republican pilot eat humble pie.

Bit and Liger Zero charged in, diving right between the two Shield Ligers. "SEVEN BLADE ATTACK!" He yelled as the energy shell that surrounded the Liger countered the shields of the other two ligers, allowing the charged laser blades to pass through. The side blades cut deep into each zoid, and as the Liger Zero bounded onwards towards the Gordos, both Shield Ligers collapsed.

O'Connell gasped in shock as he watched the Liger Zero punch right through towards him. He'd never seen the shield of a Shield Liger breached with that much ease! Clearly he was going to have to reassess the Blitz Team. "Roberts, where are you?"

"Sorry sir, but I'm little tied up at the…" His voice was drowned out by a sudden ringing impact, causing O'Connell to look to his left. The Gojulas was face first in the dirt, the Fury standing atop it. One great foot rose, before slamming down into the downed zoids back. The impact froze the Command system of the Gojulas, which let one last roar before flopping down.

Pierce sidled up to just behind Rico, matching his every more. "Not very brave of you, picking on Naomi."

"How so? She's a legitimate target, or rather she was. What kind of coward pulls out of a battle half-way through and leaves her team in the lurch?"

Pierces eyes narrowed. Yes, this was the Rico of the latter few months of their previous relationship. _'What did I see in him?' _

"How about those who are expecting a child?" She asked, her voice filled with ice. "And are worried about them?"

Rico's jaw fell. "You… you sent a PREGNANT woman out to fight? What kind of team are you?" As he said this, he stopped twisting and turning… a fatal mistake.

Pierce activated all her laser blades, before kicking in her boosters and bending the wings up. She had been slightly above him, but now she lost altitude as she closed in. Her wing blades sliced both wings off his zoid, and her head blade opened up his lower engine like a gutted fish. As he began to plummet from the sky, she answered his question. "The family kind."

O'Connell watched as the Liger Zero closed in. His displays showed the Blitz Teams zoids coming from all sides, with only his and Slater's zoids still active. And the only reason Slater was still in the fight was because Leena To… Leena _Cloud _was still toying with him. She had taken out all his guns, and now was putting a single shot into each gyro cap, crippling the Gojulas without taking it out. Over the comm, he could hear as Slater ranted at her tactics.

_'You have all fought well today…' _He tipped his head to the team as the Liger Zero began its final charge. He was firing all his weapons at it, but nothing seemed to be hitting.

"BUSTER SLASH!" Bit yelled as he hit, the five head blades on the Liger biting deep into the Gordoses shoulder. The larger zoid shuddered, before falling onto its side.

Leena smiled as she watched Bit take down the last remaining zoid on the Helic team. With the notable exception of the one who had insulted her at the start. Now his zoid was barely moving, every joint frozen. She planed to finish him off, but first she just had to call him up.

"So, Slater is it? What were you saying about this zoid being too big for someone of my size and gender to handle?" For this call she put on her 'sweet little girl' act, fluttering her eyes and resting her left hand just beneath her collarbone. The sunlight caught her wedding ring, causing the stones to gleam.

Slater's eye narrowed as he scowled. That blasted girl had taken him out, bit by bit. And now she was going to rub his nose in it! Her zoid stood before his, stuck still, as if inviting him to attack. But he couldn't. All his guns were down, and the Gojulas itself was barely able to move anything. He could see on the sensors the other Blitz team zoids gathering around on both sides, clearly enjoying the spectacle.

"All right, fine. You can handle that zoid." He ground out, his teeth grinding together. "I expect you want me to surrender now, right?"

"Oh no…" Leena said, her eyes narrowing. She dropped her act, and at last Slater saw the inferno like fury in her eyes. Her voice dropped lower, and lost any trace of warmth. "I'm not finished with you yet." She glanced towards her displays… and the grin that appeared on her face caused a tingle of dread to slide down his spine.

Slater's eyes shot open as he saw the Iguanosaur turn to face him full on. All four feet were placed flat to the ground, and the head was lowered till the neck was straight. The mouth yawed open… and the muzzle of a gun slid out of the back of the throat like some kind of tongue.

"HYBIRD CANNON FIRE!" Leena cried, before the hybrid cannon mounted in the Iguanosaur's neck unleashed a blindingly bright beam. The Gojulas vanished behind a glare and smoke. For a few seconds all that could be seen was smoke, but then it cleared. Revealed was the Gojulas, but there was something wrong with it…

"Whoa…" Brad gasped, his eyes wide.

"Ouch…" Stroller commented, even his normally composed expression showing awe.

"That's… serious power you've got there, Sis."

**#NO SHIT!# **The Fury agree with Leon.

"Man…" Bits voice was a whisper.

Leena herself was amazed, her jaw hanging down as her rage vanished. "Holy shit…"

Before her the Gojulas remained standing, but there was now a gaping hole burned right through it just below the shoulders, just above the zoids core. There was barely anything holding the zoid together. Although the features of the zoid had not changed, it seemed that even the Gojulas itself was in stunned shock.

"Was that… supposed to happen?" Vega asked as he put a shot through the hole, just to see if it was real.

"I don't know…"

"Okay, we're going to have to work on this…" Bit stated, a grin returning to his face. Leena couldn't figure out what he was grinning about. "We'll have to work on this _a lot._" She got the message then, and her face split into a grin almost as big as his. It would mean spending a lot of time together…

**"The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is… the Blitz Team!"** The Judge closed up before rocketing back to the heavens.

x x x x x x

As the Hover Cargo rumbled away from the battlefield, Naomi, Brad and Sarah were all in the transports small medical bay. Sarah had, during her first two months with the Blitz, taken up her medical training again. She figured that having at least a qualified medic in the team would be a wise precaution. Now while she was not a full doctor, she was the closest thing the team had to one. And truth told the team trusted her more than they would anyone else, being family and all.

Brad and Naomi held hands tightly, both looking into each other's eyes. As soon as she had gotten back to the transport she had gone straight here, desperate to have her child checked out. Sarah had foreseen this and had been waiting for her. Now while the system processed the information, Naomi remained on the bed, Brad sitting at her side. They only looked up when Sarah came over to stand opposite him.

"Everything's fine." Both expectant parents sighed in relief, and even Sarah looked relieved too. "There's no sign of anything wrong with your child Naomi. But I would suggest you take it easy from now on."

"I understand, and thank you." Tears began to run down Naomi's cheeks as Sarah stepped away. The Hunters embraced as she stepped out into the main cabin.

"Well, how is she?" Bit asked first. Everyone else on the team was sitting around, waiting for news.

"The child's okay." The relief that rushed through the cabin was so real and thick one could have bottled it.

x x x x x x

Slater stood watching the receding Hover Cargo, his thoughts fixed on that upstart little girl. How dare she make a fool of him in front of the rest of the team! And what she did to his zoid… it was criminal!

_'I'll get you back for that, I swear…' _

Further back in the teams' own transport, Rico laid back on his bunk, recalling everything he knew about Pierce. She had certainly improved since they had last spoken. He wondered if she had retained her looks from before. It had always bugged him that she had slipped through his grasp, denying him a clean sweep.

A lecherous smile formed on his lips. Oh, how he had wished to one day finish what he had started. He had never expected her to cross his path again, especially after she became embroiled in the Backdraft. But her recent rise to fame with the Blitz, and today's battle, meant that he now had the chance to fulfil that wish…

He looked again towards the wall at the back of his bunk. On it was a picture of a class of pilots. It was taken the day they both had enrolled for the Barons training course, and had included the support staff at the back. Thick black marks covered all the male faces, except his. All the female faces had red rings round them…

…Except one: A younger, shorter haired Pierce.

* * *

**DR: **You know, I had planned for this battle to have been more difficult for the Blitz, but this is how it came out... (sigh) Still, it's a good demostration of 'why you don't annoy Leena Toros Cloud.'

**Zeke: **Hell no!

**DR: **Well that's it for this week. Next time Pierce steps onto a slippery slope... Don't forget to R&R!


	6. Old Flames of Passion & Hate

**DR: **Here's chapter 6, marking the return of some old faces... Oh, and all you Pierce/Jamie fans, please don't panic. I know what I'm doing...

**Shadow:** (Raises eyebrow) You know they will...

**DR: **Well, one can hope... (starts looking for fire-proof coveralls)

* * *

Chapter 6: Old Flames of Passion & Hate 

Even before the team had returned home, they had informed the ZBC of Naomi Hunter's temporary withdrawal from active piloting. After the fright of that day, no one was ready to take any chances.

"You sure your okay Na'?" Ever since they had gotten back, Brad had been hovering over her. He was desperate that neither she nor their child would come to any harm.

"Yes Brad, I'm fine…" Naomi sighed as she settled back into the couch. His concern was touching, but it was a little overwhelming. It wouldn't be so bad, if the others in the team hadn't been moving around her like they were walking on eggshells. It was if they all expected her to break apart at the slightest touch!

In fact, the only member of the team that was not treating her any differently from before was the Liger kitten. As she stroked the sleeping cat, Naomi felt a lot of her tension fade away.

"We really need to name this kitten."

"I know. I tried to think of something that fits, but for the life of me I can't come up with anything." Pierce said as she slumped down on the other side of the kitten. Gently she began to stroke the silky fur herself, her hand keeping pace with Naomi's. But it was clear that her mind was not on the kitten. Naomi frowned as she looked at the younger woman.

"Pierce, is everything alright?" Pierce jumped at her question.

"Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

Naomi didn't buy it. "Come on Pierce, I know you well enough to know that you're troubled by something."

Pierce sighed and her face fell. "Is it that obvious?" Naomi just nodded.

"It's just… me and Jamie." Pierce half whispered. Naomi's eye flicked toward the kitchen, where the young man in question was discussing with Sarah the evening meal. "I just…" Pierce was interrupted by the tones of the videophone. Seeing how everyone else was busy, she jumped up to answer it.

Naomi sighed in frustration. When she had gotten back from her honeymoon, Naomi had almost immediately sensed the tension that surrounded Pierce, and to a degree was between her and Jamie. She hadn't had a chance to brooch the subject until now. Pierce was just about to open up, too. Naomi lent back in her seat. Hopefully she'll get another chance to talk with Pierce soon.

Pierce stepped into the main computer room, thoughts about who could be calling right now filling her head. Sitting down before the monitor, she hit the 'Receive' button.

When she saw who had called, her jaw dropped a little. "Rico! What…"

"Ah Pierce, so good to see you again!" He cut her off, grinning broadly. "What luck it's you who answered the call. Now no-one else in the Blitz needs know it was me." His grin was one of triumph.

Pierce had to work her jaw for half second before it responded to her commands. "Rico, why are you calling?"

"Why not?" He eyes showed amazement that she asked that question. "We fought the other day, after not seeing each other for almost three years. Don't you think it would be natural for me to want to know how you've been?"

"Well, I…"

"Anyway, your defeat of us has really caused quite a stir." Rico carried on like she hadn't said a word. "Lots of change, coming and goings." His eye flitted to one side before looking back at her. "Listen, I'd love to tell you all about it, but the old man here has just called for another meeting." He rolled his eyes. "Why don't I pop round later and we'll go out to dinner?"

Pierce was floored by his bold suggestion. "Dinner?"

"Yea, just you and me together. As a pair of old classmates catching up over a nice little meal, reminiscing about old times together." He let his face form into what he called his 'lost puppy' look. "It'll be on me…"

Pierce sat back for a second, thinking hard. She had to admit she_ was tempted_ by his offer. The last few days had been getting worse as far as she and Jamie were concerned. And clearly it was beginning to show. If Naomi was able to pick up on it, even in her condition, then what about the rest of the team? And she was curious as to how Rico had gotten a Storm Sworder himself; they were notoriously hard zoids to acquire. Plus how did he get on the Helic team?

Yes, an evening away from the Blitz would not only allow her to clear her head a little, but also allow her to get an insight in how regular pilots got hold of Storm Sworders and spares. She had gained hers from Dr Layon, which was not normal by any stretch of the imagination.

"All right Rico, this once."

His face broke out into a broad grin. "Excellent. I'll be around just before five then. Catch ya later." And with that he signed off.

Pierce shook her head as she stepped out of the computer room. Somehow she had never really understood Rico.

x x x x x x

Altiel snarled as he read the paper, already a few days only. After the Backdraft had fallen, he had been on the run constantly. After the Count, he was the most wanted member still at large. For almost six months he had been constantly on the more, looking over his shoulder all the time. He still had his enormous cash reserves from his time at the Backdraft. The ZBC had seized his Backdraft accounts, but not his personal ones, the ones even the Committee had not known about. He had been skimming funds from all his projects and the betting's for years, building up a nest egg.

With those funds, he had been able to quite simply drop of the face of the planet. He had maintained a number of contacts within the underworld, but they rarely had knowledge of what was going on legally. He had heard about the 'Dark Lord' who was after the Blitz, but Altiel had not come forward. The Blitz was his!

Slowly his contacts began to disappear, and Altiel became worried. He was desperate for news, so he had decided to take a risk and re-establish contact with the remnants of the Backdraft that were still out there. Slowly news had filtered through to him, and at last he saw the chance he had been looking for: to run the Backdraft himself and reap all the rewards.

But this… really blew his cool. The headlines proudly proclaimed the sudden marriages within the Blitz team, and the centre pages were devoted to the teams' new look. When he had first looked at the front page, his jaw had fallen when he saw the image of Sarah there next to Leon Toros. As he read, his shock grew as he found out that not only she had married Leon, but also that she, along with that cynical Stigma Stroller, Pierce the rebel, and that brat of a pilot Vega Obscura had joined the Blitz, taking with them their zoids.

His foul mood increased when he learned the truth about the relationship between Sarah and Vega. He had always noted that there was something between them, something more than their behaviour showed. But he had never expected them to be related by blood, mother to son!

And now they were part of the Blitz, along with HIS Berserker Fury! He, Altiel, had been the one to find that powerful zoid, it should have been him who dictated how it was used, not that soft, weak willed Sarah. He had heard about the argument that she had had with the Count about the destruction of the ZBC's judge satellites, and how she had in the end changed his mind. That simple action had changed the course of the Backdraft, and of Zi, forever. For if she had been made of sterner stuff, she would have agreed with the Counts plan and now the Backdraft would be supreme.

But it all fell down at the Royal Cup, and while she was running the show, he was forced to watch over the betting's. Though it did allow him to make off with all the funds when the ZBC stormed in, defeat was a bitter pill to swallow.

But now, with the Dark Lord Hiltz dead, the remains of the Backdraft were looking for new leadership. Altiel slowly smiled as he considered the chance before him. The Backdraft would return, with him at its head. And from now on, it would do whatever was necessary to win. No more half measures. And the first thing to do would be to regain the groups' lost property, including the zoids sitting in the Blitz's hanger.

Altiel scowled again as he considered the zoids. The stunning discovery of a new Ultimate X zoid by the Blitz had floored him, his eye drooling as he studied the few pictures of the new zoid running through the paper. It was titanic, far larger than either the Liger Zero or the Fury. He could only imagine the power such a zoid had at its disposal! True it was not as striking as the Fury. In fact it looked a little soft. But a bit of paint and a few added parts could soon sort that…

Trick would be getting the zoid. Stealing the Liger Zero had been hard enough, and ever since they had managed it the once they had never been able to pull it off again. And that was before the Royal Cup. With a larger team able to respond… it would be near impossible to pull off a job like that again.

He looked again at the paper, and he noted again that there had been _three _weddings. Bit and Leena, Brad and Naomi, along with Leon and Sarah, had all been married the same day. With Leena as the pilot of the new zoid, and Naomi's Gunsniper evolved into a Snipe Master, getting at them…

He paused, rereading the last line of text. A cruel smile began to form on his lips as a plan entered his head…

x x x x x x

Later on that day, Dr Layon watched from the cockpit of his Cargo Hammerhead as he swooped in to land outside the Blitz base. He took in every feature of the new building, from the newly flawless finish of the walls, the twin rows of windows that showed the two floors, and the extended length of the hanger. Just beyond the hanger he could see the very top of the teams Hover Cargo poking up.

Layon sighed as he brought the Hammerhead down. He had greatly preferred his Whale King, but the Fuma Team, acting under orders from Altiel, had caused a massive charged particle explosion that would have destroyed Leena. He had used his Whale King to shield her from the blast, sacrificing the huge transport to save her, the daughter of the woman he had loved.

Now he was reduced to this old Hammerhead transport. Not as well equipped as his Whale King, he had to admit that it was far more responsive than the larger transport had been. Smaller, lighter and faster, it was more suited for the business he was just starting, as a freelance designer and manufacturer of custom zoid parts. Hopefully once people see that he had been trusted by the Blitz, he would gain useful employment.

As he stepped down the personal ramp, he looked over the rounded end of the base. The front door was raised off the ground by several feet, with a broad set of steps leading up to it. Each step was a ring around the upper one, jutting out from the base's outer wall.

He heard the door hiss open as he reached the base of the steps. Looking up, he set eyes upon the lovely features of Leena. Looking up at her, framed by the light, his heart wept again for the loss of Sandra. While he had long stopped blaming Steve for her death, his betrayal of their friendship had taken a long time to heal. Even now, a month after Steve had come clean it still hurt.

"Hello Layon." Leena called down to the older man. He had frozen when he saw her, and she saw in his eyes that while he was looking at her, he was actually seeing her mother. Her words however snapped him out of his state.

"Leena dear…" He said as he stepped up to her level. At last standing face to face, the subtle differences between her and her mother were clear. The eyes in particular stood out. Sandra's had been a deep green, while Leena had vibrant violet eyes. "You're looking well."

"Indeed I am, except for the leg…" Layon winced with her. Her terrible injuries had shocked him to the core. Looking down, he could just make out the fine pattern of razor thin white lines that marked her right forearm. He decided to change the topic onto something more pleasant.

"I heard about your marriage. Congratulations."

"Thanks." Leena flushed, before stepping back and to one side. "You want to come in?"

Layon stepped through the door and slowly walked down the broad corridor, taking in everything. The stairs that led to the upper floor rose up on his right, while a couple of doors where to his left. Ahead was the central open area and common room of the base, with smooth arched entrances to the kitchen and dinning area. The translucent ceiling cast a wavering soft light throughout, and the sunken area housed a nice set of three long curved couches.

"Everyone, Layon's here." Leena called out. Layon looked at each person in turn. Naomi, looking well advanced into her pregnancy, sat beside Brad on one of the couches, a tawny furred mass on her free side. Jamie sat at the main table, fiddling with the computers remote terminal. To his left she saw Sarah and Leon together in the kitchen. Stroller sat across from the Hunters, a paper in his hands.

At Leena's call they all looked up or around, causing Layon to flush slightly at being under the spotlight. "Er… Hi." He managed to say, raising one hand to wave meekly.

"Hello Doctor, been a while." Sarah said as she stepped round the counter to greet him. Leon followed in her wake, hanging back a little while she embraced Layon. Layon was surprised at this show of respect from her: Sarah had always been very uptight and impersonal before. As she stepped back, Leon wrapped an arm round her waist.

"Sarah Ob… Toros, good to see you too." Layon flushed at his mistake. Sarah gently laughed.

"Trust me, I'm still getting used to being called 'Mrs Toros' myself."

"Just like myself and Leena." Naomi called from the couch were she remained seated.

"Yea, I still sometimes can't believe I'm now 'Mrs Leena Cloud'." Leena pulled a face. "Somehow it just doesn't sound right…"

The jovial moment put everyone at ease, and Layon gently laughed along with the Blitz. Looking around, he noted the missing team members. "So Leena, where's that annoying husband of yours?"

"Oh, Bit and Vega are down in the hanger, with their zoids." Leena smiled. She had noted the look that entered his eye when she said the word 'zoids'.

"There'll be plenty of time for that Layon." Sarah stepped in before he could even think about asking to see the zoids. "I know you've had a long trip. Why don't you sit down and relax for a bit?" This was the Sarah he remembered, coolly in charge.

Shrugging in surrender, he allowed himself to be guided to the central couch. As he sat down, he was startled for a second, as he seemed to continue sinking into it. "Is this sofa trying to eat me or something?"

"No, it's just new." Leena laughed as she sat down by the furry bundle. As she did so, a rounded head unfurled from within, and two sleepy blue feline eyes looked up at her. Leena reached a hand out and gently began to stroke the kitten under the chin. Its eyes closed as the kitten began to purr loudly.

Layon watched amazed as he looked over the most remarkable addition to the Blitz. The Liger kitten was already larger than most normal cats got to when adult, and it still had those baby blue eyes. As one paw stretched out languidly, he saw a glimpse of just how powerful it would be when fully grown.

"Here you are Layon." Sarah lowered a steaming bowl before him. Taking it, his eyes widened as he saw that it was full of noodles. "I remembered your favourite brand." She said as she settled down besides Leon to his right, snuggling into him as she did so. Layon looked at Sarah for a long moment as she and Leon kissed deeply. This Sarah was vastly different from the one who had been working for the Backdraft, so warm and caring. So clearly in love, and Leon with her. It reminded Layon of himself, nearly thirty years ago. Mindful of where he was, Layon took a cautious taste of the noodles.

His eyes widened as the taste hit his tongue. "Their wonderful!" He managed to say as Jamie sat between him and Sarah. "How did you get them this good?"

"Oh, by not rushing things. And following the instructions." Layon laughed with her again as he recalled the number of times he had rushed the preparation, desperate to get back to his research. It had always resulted in failure.

"So," He turned to Leena. "How's the old thief doing?"

"Well, Dad's been over the moons since me and Leon got hitched." Leon and Sarah smiled happily, gazing into each other's eyes. Layons narrowed, as he looked closer at them. There was something else going on between them, something in Sarah's face…

"Yea, he's been beaming ever since we all got back." Brad put in, a smile forming on his lips as he looked into Naomi's eyes. Her chin rested on his shoulder as she lent against him, a happy smile on her face.

Layon looked over at the two of them, and sighed deeply. The love between the various couples here was so thick you could taste it.

"So Brad…" He began after sampling the noodles again. "Which of my gifts where you mainly looking at?"

Brad sat back for a moment, thinking hard. "Well, anything really. The Fox is already fast and agile, so I suppose some of the more exotic stuff really. Anything that boosts the stealthy nature of the zoid would be a bonus."

"Don't forget electronic warfare Brad." Jamie added, his face tinged red.

"Yea, and any way to increase the effective combat range too. The laser Vulcan is excellent, but a little short-ranged at times. Of course, nothing should affect how the zoid moves, or its strengths…"

Layon smiled as he listened to the Blitz. Everything they had suggested would be a challenge, and he lived for challenges. Just then a roar sounded from within the hanger. Layon smiled as he recognised the Fury's voice.

Sarah chuckled. "I see we're not going to keep you in here much longer Layon." She turned to face Leena. "Why don't you show him the way Leena?"

"Sure." As they both got up though, Layon froze. On the steps just behind her was Steve Toros, looking just as shocked as Layon.

"Steve."

"Layon."

Both old friends looked at each other for a long moment, before at last Layon stepped forwards to the foot of the stairs. "Congratulations Steve. You must be happy for them." He held out a hand.

Steve looked at the offered hand for a second, before stepping down enough to clasp it in his hand. "Thank you Layon. I'm so proud of them." Unnoticed by both men, Leon and Leena blushed. "And so would she."

"Aye, she would."

* * *

**Zeke:** Well, that went well...

**DR: **Indeed. Next time Layon meets the Iguanosaur for the first time, and Pierce goes on her date... Till then! Don't forget to review!


	7. Offers, Rides & Future Plans

**DR: **A bit more down time here, and Layon meets the Iguanosaur up close for the first time...

**Zeke: **A suitible moment for that 'jaw drop' smilie?

**DR: **Ideal. Pierce get's into hotter water, and Sarahhad some news...

* * *

Chapter 7: Offers, Rides & Future Plans 

Bit grinned as the Fury roared in response to Vega's comment. With three Ultimate X zoids in one place, things were rarely quiet for long. Bit himself had been running a series of diagnostics on the Liger Zero to see if there was any lasting damage from the battle against the Helic Team, when Vega had commented that he'll have to alter his sights. He hadn't meant to scare the hell out of that Tortoise pilot.

**#You weren't aiming at him! If that cowardly Shield Liger had stood his ground…# **

Vega sighed as he looked up at Bit, who had stuck his head out from over the rim of the Ligers cockpit. Above him, the Iguanosaur was rumbling with zoid laughter. Due to the size of the zoid, not only did it take up two bays, but also the head in fact protruded into the next bay along. Fortunately the bay in question was the Ligers, so there was plenty of room above the Ligers head for the narrow head of the larger zoid.

"Blunt and direct, that's the Fury." Bit joked, bringing a small smile to Vega's face. Just like people, the Ultimate X zoids had differing personalities. While the Fury was blunt and to the point, loving nothing better than a good scrap, the Liger was more laid back, content just to have a daily run with Bit. It liked the excitement of a battle, but didn't live for it like the Fury at times seemed to. The Iguanosaur was even more passive, a true gentle giant. Fiercely protective of not only Leena but also the other zoids and pilots, but generally very calm and soothing.

Vega allowed his eyes to wander across the other zoids, all lined up and in top condition. The Elephander was stood across from the Iguanosaur's shoulders, while the bay next to the base itself was filled with the smaller mounts. Leon's Blade Liger was next along, facing across from the Liger Zero. Then came Naomi's crimson Snipe Master and the black and gold Shadow Fox of Brad, the two lightest ground zoids in the team.

The Storm Sworder of Pierce took the end bay of this row, with Jaime's smaller Raynos perched between it and the Fury. Certainly the Blitz team had one of the most varied collections of zoids of any zoid team, with over half of the team made up of one-of-a-kind zoids, with the remaining four being rare zoids. The multitude of hues would drive some people crazy, yet somehow to Vega they all fitted together, and displayed the core principle of the Blitz: strength in diversity. No matter what they faced, at least one member of the team was out fitted to handle the situation.

As he turned back towards Bit, Vega noticed that not only was Bit almost at ground level now, but Leena was stepping up behind him. When she saw that he had seen her, Leena put a finger to her lips, stilling Vega's tongue. Just as Bit put his foot on the floor, Leena wrapped her arms round him. "So, how's the Liger?"

Bit yelped in surprise, but immediately calmed when he heard the playful tones of his wife. Tuning in her grasp, he scooped her up in his own. "Pretty damn good, but nothing compared to you…"

Leena smiled happily at his words. For a long moment all she could do was just stand there, gazing into his vibrant green eyes…

The Iguanosaur lowered her long head gently, before nudging Leena ever so slightly. **#Leena, you forgetting your guest…# **

"Oh!" Leena started. She had completely forgotten about Layon! Turning about, she couldn't help but laugh at the look on Dr Layon's face. He was like a kid at a candy store, gazing at the smooth actions of the titanic zoid besides her. He hadn't stayed long at the wedding, so had only seen the zoid from a distance. Besides, his attention had been on Leena rather than the zoids.

"Amazing… it looks even larger in real life!" Layons eyes were almost as round as saucers as he watched the giant shift subtly to look down at him, the head tilted at an angle. He had never seen anything like it before! Well armoured by zoid standards, it was clearly an Ultimate X just by the way it moved and looked at him. Layon was struck by the differences between the three. While the Fury looked like aggression incarnate, and the Liger looked full of pride, this new zoids was somehow softer, protective.

"She's quite a specimen, isn't she?" Bit asked, his arms round Leena. Layon turned his attention to regard the young man. Now standing before him, Bit seemed to exude confidence and talent. Leena had kept her arms wrapped round him, letting her head lean against his chest. Now that they stood together, it was clear to Layon that the two of them belonged together.

"Doctor Layon!" Vega stepped around the young couple, and Layon's face broke into a smile. He had always liked that young lad. "Nice to see you again."

"Likewise Vega. I hear you managed to help the Fury yourself."

"Yea, he's no longer a boiling pot of rage anymore."

**#Don't remind me!# **

Layon looked confused at the identical amused looks on the three young peoples faces.

"I don't think he likes to be reminded of what he once was…" Vega explained for Layon.

"Ah." Layon turned towards Leena. "I got your fathers message about working on your zoid. What exactly did you have in mind?"

Leena sighed. "It's just that since she's a new zoid, getting spare parts is going to be a problem. We were kind of hoping you could do something about that."

Layon's eyes widened again as he realised what she was saying: The Blitz wanted him to create the blueprints for every part on her zoid! Such a feat had not been done for centuries, until he created the Shadow Fox, and even then they had been modified Command Wolf and Liger parts in the main. But to create a whole new set of blueprints for a unique zoid such as this…

"And, if you want, you could do the same for both the Fury and Liger Zero…" Bit put in. All three pilots and their zoids broke out laughing at the stunned look on Layons face.

x x x x x x

Jamie sighed as he stepped towards the stairs. He and Sarah were about to start cooking the evening meal, and Pierce had to be told when it was going to ready. She had been avoiding him for the last couple of days, ever since that fight against the Helic Team. Jamie didn't know why she was doing this. Didn't they love each other? Didn't they say that to each other?

Just as he was about to step up, Pierce appeared at the top of the stairs. Jamie's eyebrow rose as he took in the fact that she appeared to be dressed to go out.

"Pierce, I thought I had better tell you, dinners…"

"Oh it's all right Jamie. Don't bother cooking me anything. I'm going out for the night." She told him as she came down the stairs. Jamie's eyes widened with shock.

"Out?" He managed to ask, his voice quivering.

"Where, and with whom?" Stroller asked from the entrance to the lounge, one eyebrow raised questioningly.

"Not that it's any of your business, but I'm going out with an old friend, to catch up and talk about the old times." Pierce told him, shrugging into her jacket as she did so. As she stepped towards the front door, she didn't see the sad look that filled Jamie's eyes, or the sceptical one that filled Strollers.

Pierce sighed as she stepped out the front door. She had hoped not to bump into Jamie on her way out, since it would require her to explain why she was going out. She needed a little time away from him to think things through. Stroller butting in didn't help, but at least she could afford to be snappy towards him…

The throaty growl of an engine caused her to lift her head. A shining light in the twilight came around the bend of the road and rushed towards her. One eyebrow rose as Rico pulled up his heavy motorcycle before her, grinning with pride.

"I thought when you said you'd give me a ride; it would be in a car or a zoid. Not perched on the end of a bike."

"Come on, there's loads of room behind me." Rico waved to the small scrape of spare leather behind him.

"And exactly what am I going to hold onto?"

"Easy: me." Rico grinned even wider than before.

"Oh no…" Pierce took a step backwards. "We may be old friends, but that's all. I'll get my own…"

"Pierce, you still riding that old motor?" Rico asked. "The one you rode while we were at the academy?"

"Yea… what of it?"

"Well, I'm afraid you'll either have to ride with me, or I'll risk falling over." Rico stated. "This baby is fast and responsive, but at low speeds she wallows like a water filled balloon. If I limited myself to the speed that your bike could do, well… I'd be black and blue when we got there. Besides," He now played his trump card. "I booked us a table, five fifteen."

"But that's only a quarter hour!"

"I know, and the only way we're going to make it is if we burn rubber and go like a bat out of hell. So which is it going to be Pierce: we go together on mine, or not at all?"

Pierce stood there for long moment, uncertainty running through her mind. Rico might have been an old friend, but they had not parted under the best of circumstances. If she rode with him on his bike… it was way too forward for her to be comfortable with.

But then again, she needed to get away from the Blitz for a while, even a couple of hours. And Jamie's eyes when she had said she was going out… "All right Rico, you win, this time. But next time, I drive myself!"

Rico grinned smugly as she sat down behind him. "You're going to have to hold on real tight if you don't want to fall off…"

"Rico, I can handle a Storm Sworder. I'm certain I can handle this." She shot back at him.

_'Same old sprit, I see…'_ Rico's grin got even wider as he turned the engine over. _'Oh it's going to be so much fun reeling her in again…' _

As they raced off down the road, neither of them realised that the whole time they had been watched. Stroller stood inside the room just to the left of the door, looking through the window. Since he had left the light off there had been no clue as to his presence. A scowl had twisted his features as Pierce had climbed onto the bike behind Rico. Stroller didn't know his name, but there was something about him that he just didn't like…

x x x x x x

Some time later Leon stepped through the doorway into the garden. "There you are, dinners almost ready…" He said to Sarah who was sitting by the poolside, one hand lazily hanging down so that her fingertips just broke the surface of the water. The Koy clustered around her hand, occasionally nibbling at it. She didn't seem to react to Leon's words.

Worried suddenly, He knelt down besides her. "Sarah, what is it?"

At last she turned towards him, her long hair clinging to her shoulders. Leon was startled to see the beginnings of tears in the corner of her eye, and she had a slight smile on her face. He was struck again by how much she seemed glow in the last couple of days. It was as if life itself had decided to invest in her for a time.

" Leon…" She spoke gently, affection clear in her voice. "I don't want to get your hopes up…" She trailed off, her head lowering.

Leon gently raised her chin back up with one hand. "But?" He asked gingerly.

"…I think I'm pregnant."

Sarah couldn't help herself: she burst out laughing at the look on her husbands face. Leon's jaw had dropped faster than the Backdraft, and his eyes were wide in shock. Within those warm orbs, Sarah could see a whole range of emotions. Surprise, shock, awe, and most prominent of all, love and joy.

"…You are?"

"I'm not sure…" Her free hand rested on her stomach. "…But it _feels_ like that."

Leon smiled. "Of course, I keep forgetting that you've already had one child." He sobered up and looked her in the eye. "You sure you want this?"

Sarah stared back, her eyes liquid with love. "Yes… yes I do."

With a cry of joy, Leon pulled her into his arms. Both of them wrapped their arms round each other, Leon not caring about her wet fingers. They clung together for a long time, drinking of the passion that flowed between them both. Leon had secretly wished to someday have a child with Sarah, but he had not raised the idea with her, for fear that she would not wish to go through the ordeal of childbirth again. Sarah's answer had lifted that fear from his heart.

He pulled back just enough so that he bring his face to hers. "I love you Sarah…"

"I love yo…" Sarah's words were cut off by his mouth, both of them wrapped together in their love. At that moment, any thought about the meal, the team, or anyone else in the Blitz completely left their minds as they focused on the other. Their bodies were pressed together as they both clung to each other, knowing in their hearts that nothing would come between them.

After a long moment, their heads drifted apart. Leon smiled as he saw that she had kept her eyes closed, a smile on her lips. _'God I love her…' _

"Sarah?"

"Hmmm?" She opened her eyes slowly to look at him with those wonderful sea-green orbs of hers.

"When are we going to tell the others?"

"Lets hold on for now, until we're sure." Sarah sighed. "And the _when _will have to come after I've figured out _how._ I know that their all good people, but I'm not sure how everyone would react…"

"Don't you mean how Vega would react?"

"Yea…"

"Don't worry yourself. Steve will be over the moon, while everyone else will be happy for us. As for Vega… well you brought him up right. And wasn't he the one pushing you onwards before?" Sarah smiled as she recalled how Vega had acted before the marriage. He had practically thrown her into Leon's arms. But that was about her being happy. How would he react when he learned that he was no longer going to be her only child?

"Whatever happens, you know that I'll always be right there besides you." Leon continued, gently rubbing her shoulders. "I'll never leave your side…"

At that moment, Jamie's voice came from the corridor. "Leon, Sarah? Where are you guys? Dinners ready…"

Sarah chuckled. "He's our regular mother hen."

"That he is." Leon smiled with her. Reluctantly he stood upright before offering her his hand. Smiling broadly, she took it and stood up with him. Arm in arm, they stepped out of the garden to meet Jamie who stood at the top of the stairs. He frowned when they emerged.

" Leon, you said you'd be right back. Don't blame me if your food is getting colder, or if someone eats it for you…" He turned and started down the stairs out of sight.

Sarah turned to Leon. "We need to get him a girlfriend."

Leon sighed. "I think he already has, but neither of them will act on it." Sarah's eyebrow rose, so Leon explained. "Pierce. The two of them shared a bed after that fight. I don't know for sure, but I think they didn't do anything. Since then they've been separated."

Sarah frowned now. "If they feel that way with each other, why haven't they acted?"

"Well, I know that Jamie has not had anything like this before, so maybe their both going slow. But it's Pierce who's holding them back. I've seen the look in his eye when he looks at her. He loves her, no doubt. But recently she's been avoiding him…"

"When she gets back, I'll have a word with her."

"Good luck. Naomi tried earlier and barely managed to get anything out of her."

"Oh, I know how to handle her."

"Hey you two! If you want food you had better get down here before Bit, Leena or Naomi has your shares!" Jamie yelled up from the dinner table. Smiling at each other, Leon and Sarah headed down.

x x x x x x

Pierce sighed as she climbed off the back of Rico's bike. "Thanks for the ride, but next time I'll drive myself."

"Don't tell me you weren't thrilled at least a little bit?" Rico asked, his face falling.

"Rico, I pilot a Storm Sworder. Compared to that, _everything _is slow."

"All right, fine. So," Rico pulled another grin out. "When will I see you again?"

Pierce took a step back. "Excuse me?"

"When are we going out again? I know this nice little…"

"Uh huh Rico. I went out with you tonight because I needed a little time away from my team, not because I wanted to be with you."

"So you're saying I'm not attractive?" Rico's voice had a note of shock.

"No, I'm not…" Pierce paused, before changing her line of thought. "…It's just that I've already got someone."

"Man, he must be a real pretty boy then, if you prefer him to me."

"Actually, he's a bright young lad. Absolutely brilliant in the air…"

"Who?" Pierce remained silent. "Come on, who?"

"Rico, I don't want to talk about it!" Pierce snapped. "And if you keep bugging me I won't go out with you again!" Pierce paused then swore to herself. She had just implied that she would accept a second date.

Rico clearly got the message, as his grin returned. "Okay, so how about Tuesday? I've got nothing planed…"

Pierce sighed in frustration. "All right, fine. Pencil it in. But I'm likely to be away with the team at a match, so don't say I didn't warn you."

"Sure, I'll await your call to confirm it. If I don't hear anything from you, I'll assume we're on." Pierce smiled brightly on the outside while inside she cursed again. "Same place as before…" Rico said just as he gripped the bikes handlebars.

"Actually…" Pierce began, but her words were drowned out by the roar of the bike's engine. Before she could try again, Rico had already pulled away. Shrugging in surrender, she turned round to enter the base.

* * *

**Shadow: **She really dosn't know what she's getting into...

**DR: **Nope. Next time we have another battle (I told you I was going to put more into this one!) and we meet up again with a couple of old foes... Till then! Don't forget to R&R!


	8. Burning Hail

**DR: **Once more unto the breach...

**Shadow:** Translation; here's another Class S battle for you all...

* * *

Chapter 8: Burning Hail

As Pierce had hoped, the notice of their next battle came in the next day. Unfortunately, it was a local battle on the Monday, so they would not be away Tuesday night. Pierce had no choice to go ahead with the date. She knew that she should not really be going out with Rico, but he was simply too nice to simply drop. She didn't want to hurt his feelings. Besides, she needed more time away from Jamie to think things through.

That Monday morning, The Blitz prepared to meet the Hailfire team on the field. According to the data Jamie had gathered, the Hailfire team got their name due to their use of rapid-fire weapons. Vulcans, micro missiles, automatic cannons… anything that fired quickly.

Bit along with Brad, Leena, Leon, Vega, and Stroller took the field against the six zoids of the other team. Jamie's plan revolved around the Blade Liger, Fury and Elephander leading from the front, their shields up. As they approached, the other zoids would dive out from behind them to fire off a salvo before ducking back behind the shields. Bit and Vega teamed up, as did Brad and Leon, with Leena taking cover behind Stroller. The Elephander was the closest in size to the Iguanosaur, and its shield was the only one that could screen them both. Plus, as Leena's zoid was more suited to attacking from a distance, it would not be adversely affected by having to keep pace with the slow Elephander.

"Ah, I see Mrs Cloud is out…" Deuce, leader of the Hailfire team called from his Gojulas. "I hope your not planning to do to us what you did to that arrogant jerk in the Helic team…"

Leena smiled sweetly. "No. He earned that."

"That he did." Deuce replied, while mopping his brow jokingly. A chorus of chuckles drifted across the net.

Bit grinned as he looked over the Hailfire's zoids. Deuce's Gojulas zoid had switched the shoulder supercannons for Vulcans, 60mm if he was not mistaken. All the secondary weapons had also been exchanged for automatic cannons.

To each side of his towering zoid was a Red Horn, a close relative of a Dark Horn. In fact, the only difference between them was the colouration. These one's carried a pair of Vulcans each, the muzzles extending over the shoulders. Further out on each side stood a Helcat, their hides painted a sandy yellow. The last zoid was a little out of place. It was a Gunsniper, perched up on a raised rock formation to the rear of the Hailfire team. It had a 'Wild Weasel' cross member, but instead of the twin lasers, it carried a Vulcan on each spar. The massive guns dwarfed the small zoid.

"So, ready to dance?"

"You bet!" Vega called, his eyes shining in anticipation. The Fury echoed that sentiment with a bellowing roar.

As the Judge thundered into a nearby cliff top, Pierce watched as the Blitz assumed the formation that Jamie had suggested. Since she and the other ex-Backdraft people had joined, the team had begun to listen and even act on his suggestions more often.

_'Got to stop referring to myself as "ex-Backdraft" ' _Pierce chided herself. She looked across at Jamie as he sat before the console of the Hover Cargo. Biting her lip, she tried to work out her feelings. Truth was that Pierce was not sure exactly what she felt anymore. Jamie was the original sweet, honest man she had always been looking for. But he was still young, and what could he know about the ways of the heart? Pierce wasn't sure if she wanted to inflict such things on him, because his innocence was one of the things she loved about him.

Sarah saw the look that Pierce had thrown towards Jamie. When Pierce had gotten back that night, it had been very late. So late that no one else had been up. Since then Pierce seemed constantly distracted and on edge. Sarah just knew that there was something wrong, but Pierce refused to be pinned down. Even the kitten had picked up on her feelings, and seemed to be trying to get Pierce to settle down and talk. But nothing seemed to work.

**"The Blitz Team Vs the Hailfire Team, battle mode 0892. Ready… Fight!" **

At the Judge's signal, the three Blitz team zoids with shields engaged them and began to push forwards. Leon went left, the crimson Blade Liger pounding forwards as its laser blades glimmered in the sun. On the right Vega jetted forwards, the Liger Zero riding his tail. Stroller set the Elephander to advance, the ground trembling from not only his heavy footfalls, but also those of the Iguanosaur behind him.

On the far side of the plain, the central three Hailfire zoids didn't move. Both Helcats slipped off to the sides, engaging cloaks once they were out of sight of the Blitz, while the Gunsniper spun round and engaged sniper mode. "Okay, which one first boss?" The pilot called.

"The Fury Tomas. It and the Liger Zero could take us out all by themselves."

"Roger that, get ready…" As the Gunsniper lined up on the Fury, both Red Horns and the Gojulas twisted on the spot to bring their guns to bear. Vega watching this frowned.

"What are they up to?"

The Fury growled. **#I'm not sure… I have a bad feeling about this…# **

Flicking a switch, the Gunsniper pilot set his sights, then pulled the trigger. The tail mounted sniper rifle fired three shots in rapid succession, the muzzle flares merging into one. The bullets screamed across the battlefield towards the Fury…

The first round impacted with the Fury's shield and punched part way through. The second hit the first dead on and almost got right through, mashing both rounds. When the third hit, the first two shattered and allowed it to breach the shield. The round tore through one of the shield generation pylons before digging deep into the workings of the pulse laser the pylon was on. Not quite spent, the round was deflected off a denser component before ricocheting into one of the Fury's hover jets.

Howling in an equal mixture of pain and surprise, the Fury lost momentum and his shield crumbled, since without all four pylons working the shield system failed. His feet dug into the ground and nearly tripped him up. Vega was jolted around inside as the Fury struggled to compensate for the attack.

"What happened?" Vega was wide eyed in shock.

Bit's eyes shot wide when the Fury stumbled. "Shit!" He cursed as the Fury's tail closed rapidly. The Liger jinked to the right, and only just dodged the Fury, which was still a little dazed. "Vega, you all right?"

"Yea, I'm okay, but how did…" Vega was cut off however when a hail of small calibre shells rained down on the Fury. Long streams of tracer looped across the plain, stitching all over the Fury. Larger detonations battered the Fury backwards as heavier fire slammed in. Bit was about to return fire for Vega when a short burst of laser pulses screamed in and battered the Liger's flank. When he looked towards the source, there was nothing there.

"What the…?" Bit said, just before another burst cut in from behind. The Liger, expecting an attack dropped down and evaded the burst, but only just. Bit scanned the region behind him, but again nothing. "Where are they Liger?"

**#I don't know!# **

"What?" Bit yelled. He would have continued but them he saw it, out of the corner of his eye. A faint distortion, just before more laser pulses began to be thrown at him. As the Liger ducked again, Bit was able to see the outline of the Helcat's head and shoulders before it ceased fire and faded away. _'Optical Stealth… perfect.'_

"I thought that you had to drop a cloak before you could fire!"

"With the most common type of optical stealth, yes." Jamie answered. "But not the top of the line models. That's military grade stuff."

"Great." Brad commented as he adjusted the sensors on the Fox. Suddenly another light flashed on the far side of the plain, and twin small explosions appeared on the back of Leon's Blade Liger. His shield collapsed as the upper generator plate was ruined, and the back boosters failed, causing the Liger to stumble. Cursing as he closed with the Liger, Brad jumped over Leon. As he did so, the Foxes powerful sensors saw over the near dunes. Brad sucked in his breath as he saw a moving distortion, in the rough shape of a Helcat.

Leena snarled as she watched Vega get pounded and Bit held up. The Iguanosaur leapt to the left out from behind the Elephander. She triggered her missiles, before loosing off a long burst of fire from her own Vulcans. Bit too fired his long ranged missiles, before diving forwards. Fire from one of the Red Horns was all ready tracking him, while the other one was raking the ground around Leon. The Fury continued to stand, but the constant pounding from the Hailfire's Gojulas was wearing even the stubborn Fury down.

Leena's missiles screamed in to slam into and around the Red Horns, while Bit's salvo struck the Gojulas. All three zoids were rocked by the detonations, but none keeled over. The burst of fire from Leena's guns tore into the rocky ground around the Gunsniper. At that range picking out something that small was very difficult, even for an Ultimate X zoid. Despite that, the barrage ripped apart the cliff face beneath the smaller zoid, and it crumbled apart, taking with it the Gunsniper.

Deuce sighed as he watched the Gunsniper go out of the battle. He had known that they would not have been able to stop the entire Blitz, but getting two of them was better than he had hoped. "Keep up the pressure people!" He called out; bring his guns to bear back onto the Fury.

Smirking to himself, the pilot of one of the Helcats lined up on Leon who had taken cover behind a dune while he sorted himself out. The Helcat crept up to almost point blank range…

Suddenly the small zoid was jolted and alarms began to wail. As the zoid thudded into the dirt, the command system frozen and the cloak falling, and he saw the Shadow Fox bounding across another dune, while Leon dived forwards, no longer acting as if disorientated. It had been a set up.

The Fury gave one last roar, before falling face first into the sand. Vega sighed as he read the single message on his screen. "Never mind Fury. We'll learn from this and they won't get us next time."

The Blitz pushed forwards, right into the teeth of the Hailfire's fire. Leon and Bit had to face down the fire from the Red Horns, while Brad found himself the target for the Gojulas. The amount of fire those three zoids put out was staggering. All three Blitz team zoids were taking hits…

Suddenly a bright beam stabbed out from the Iguanosaur, slamming into the Gojulas. The towering saurian zoid was blasted right over, crashing to the ground with all the grace of a collapsing skyscraper. Thin smoke rose from the huge blast mark on its chest.

Both the Red Horns were stunned by the sudden removal of their team leader, and both Bit and Leon took advantage. Both Ligers dived forwards, closing in. While Bit fired off another volley of missiles, Brad joined in with Leon to rock the Red Horn before them with laser fire. The Red Horn gave as good as it got, twin lines of tracers tearing into the Blade Liger. Leon stumbled again and fell, but Brad was almost in range for a Strike Laser Claw.

Bit's missiles rocked their target, and the Liger pushed forward, the back ion boosters kicking in to push the Liger forwards. The Red Horn recovered quickly though, and again the Vulcans unleashed a deadly rain. Liger pushed forwards, daring the Red Horn to stop him. Rounds skimmed off the armour, but then one got sucked into one of the boosters. The booster exploded violently, tearing off the missile pod and driving the Liger into the ground.

Bit shook his head to clear the ringing in his head as the Liger lay there for a second, fighting back pain. Looking up, he saw the Red Horn swing its guns down…

…Only for a bright stream of cannon fire to crash into its side, knocking the Red Horn for six.

"Don't mess with my husband!" Leena yelled over the comm as her guns put the Red Horn out of the match.

Stroller, standing just behind her, smiled slightly as he watched as Leena relented. But he quickly frowned as wavering distortion ghosted in from the right. "Leena, behind you!"

Leena didn't think: she just reacted. The Iguanosaur's right rear leg lashed out, catching the much smaller Helcat in the shoulder. As the small zoid was pitched away, the optical stealth failed. The Helcat hit the ground hard, but it was not out of the battle. Stroller fixed that with a quick burst of his own guns.

Brad leapt from one dune to another, dancing just ahead of the fire from the last Red Horn. At last he was in range. His next leap was towards the rear of the Red Horn, something the other Pilot was not expecting since he had always been leaping back and forth. Outfoxed, he had no chance to stop the Fox before Brad unleashed his strike laser claw on the Red Horn. It thudded into the dirt, the gashes across its haunches glowing from the heat.

**"The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is… the Blitz Team!" **

x x x x x x

Bit walked over to where Deuce stood by his fallen zoid. Behind him the Hover Cargo was already recovering the fallen zoids of the team, while the Hailfire team's Whale King hovered overhead, grapples hanging from the open lower bay. One by one the teams' zoids were lifted up into the massive aerial transport.

"That was some battle!" He called. Deuce turned round to face Bit, before his eyes shifted to look at Leena, tucked under Bit's arm.

"That it was Bit, that it was." He smiled.

Leena looked down for a second. "Sorry about hitting you with my zoids main weapon…"

"It's all right Mrs Cloud. You did what you had to do. Zoids always get trashed in battles." Leena's smile returned.

"See, I told you he'd be reasonable." Bit chided her.

"No offence Bit, but with your wife's reputation, I'd be foolish – or suicidal – to be anything but." Deuce grinned at the blush that ran up Leena's face.

"Don't worry Leena dear. I still love you…" Bit whispered to her, tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eyes. At that moment the fallen Gojulas was lifted upwards.

"That's it boss. We're fully loaded." The voice of the Whale King pilot came over Deuce's radio.

"Okay, get ready to leave." He told the pilot before turning to Bit and Leena, who were continuing to look into each other's eye. Deuce was struck again how well those two went together, despite the tales about their relationship before. He could see the spark of true love in their eyes, and he wished them eternal happiness. Seeing how they were going to stand there for the rest of the day, he, regretfully, coughed politely.

"Well, my teams ready to roll. I assume yours is ready to eat?"

Both Blitz pilots looked at him, smiled and turned back towards the waiting Iguanosaur. "Lead on Deuce!"

x x x x x x

Slater sat at the bar, his eyes glued to the broadcast screen behind it. Displayed was a rerun of the fight between the Blitz and the Hailfire's. He cursed as Leena took down the Gojulas with the same weapon that had almost blown his to pieces. Only this time, the Gojulas was nowhere near as badly damaged.

As the Judge declared the winner, he threw his empty glass at the screen. It hit just below the picture of Leena, shattering into a thousand pieces.

"Hey, you're going to pay for that!" The young barkeep called across. Slater just glared at him.

"Get me another drink. Now." He snarled, one hand resting on the butt of his sidearm. The young barkeep took one look, gulped, before he poured another round for the Pilot.

"You know, Helic Republic pilots don't normally throw glasses around bars…" The voice came from over his shoulder as he took a swig. "…Course, since you're in here drinking that stuff, my guess is that you're trying to drown your sorrows."

Slater turned to look at the man before him. Of average height, anything that might identify the man was hidden beneath the long hooded cloak he wore. Only his mouth was visible, the shadow of the hood obscuring his face.

"What is it to you?" Slater asked, a threat in his tone.

"Nothing really, except I just wish to check something." The mystery man slipped into the stool next to him. "Is the source of your sorrow the Blitz team, by any chance?"

Slater slumped in his seat. "Yea. Thanks to them, I've been kicked from the team I was on, and my zoids totalled." His eyes rose to the screen overhead, where Bit and Leena stood talking to Deuce. "I'd do anything to teach them a lesson, particularly that spoilt little bitch, Leena Toros Cloud!"

"Then we have something in common." Slater swung round to stare at the other man. "I too have suffered at the hands of the Blitz. Many times they have humiliated me and my men. Their rise to fame has been built on my losses." The man looked about them. "Maybe we should continue this discussion somewhere else?"

"Sure." Slater stood up before making his way over to one of the side booths. He sat down one side, the other man opposite him. "So, what should I call you?"

The other man paused for a long moment. "You can call me Mr A."

"Mr A?" Slater laughed. "What kind of name is that?"

"I'd advise you not to annoy me Slater…" A's voice was full of menace. "I don't take kindly to being laughed at." Slater stopped laughing. Even he knew a threat when he saw one.

"Now, listen. There are many more like us, who wish to see the Blitz destroyed. They ruined something special, something that could have been the beginning of a new world order…"

"You mean that Hiltz and his Cybrid Legions? No thanks. I saw what he was up too…"

"Not him. Before the Blitz got into Class S."

"But what…" Then the answer popped into Slater's mind. "Wait, you're talking about the Backdraft!"

"Correct. The ZBC has become corrupt and decedent. It no longer works the way it should. Combat is about winning, not having a fair fight! But those who run and support the ZBC can't see this. They have become swayed by their own pathetic dream of an equal world." Mr A spat out the last couple of words.

"The world can never be equal; there will always be those who are weak, and those who are strong; the rich and the poor, the controllers and the controlled. By making every one play the same way, The ZBC has destroyed the natural order of things."

Slater nodded, mainly just to keep the other man talking. How did all this relate to the Blitz and the Backdraft?

"Only a complete replacement of the system can the natural order be restored. But to do that, the ZBC must fall. That was the aim of the Backdraft, to replace the ZBC and restore the natural order of things. But the Blitz tore it apart. Now only scattered fragments remain. The power base of the Backdraft is weak, disorganised. The head was lost, and now what is left is a leaderless shadow of its former self.

"I intend to change that." Now the man sat up straighter and looked Slater in the eye. The light from the bar reached into the hood now, revealing his features…

Slater gasped as he realised who he was talking too. "You're… You're Altiel! The last remaining Backdraft key player!"

"Indeed, now you understand why I need to be careful." Altiel nodded. "And you most likely understand my desire to see the Blitz destroyed."

"Certainly. But why approach me?"

"Simple. You have a reason to hate the Blitz. And I know you yearn for a command of your own. I'm here to lay an offer for you. Join me, and you will become the commander of the entire Backdraft zoid force, reporting to me and me alone. And if everything goes according to plan, I can get you a new zoid worthy of your skills…"

"Like what? A Genosaurer?"

"If you wish, for a start. But I was thinking more along the lines of one of the Blitz teams' zoids. Which of 'their' Ultimate X zoids would you want?"

Slater sucked in his breath, his eye's widening at the though of owning one of those zoids. How could anyone refuse such an offer? To have such power at his fingertips… it was intoxicating just thinking about it!

"Well, either the Berserker Fury, or Leena's new zoid, her Iguan…suon…something." He smiled cruelly at the thought of the look on little Leena's face when he killed her precious husband with her own zoid.

"Of course. I had hoped you would say one of those two. I hope to have one cut apart so we can find out exactly how those zoids get their power. Once we know the secret, we can produce our own Ultimate X zoids. Then nothing will stand in our way!" Altiel grinned along with Slater as they both thought about getting revenge.

"Course, for the next little while we're going to move quietly and gently. The Backdraft is weak and broken at the moment. One strike by the ZBC could shatter it for good. We need time to rebuild, to regain what we lost." Altiel looked Slater in the eye. "So, are you in?"

Slater grinned back. "Of course I'm in. I want to make the Blitz pay for what they have done…"

"Very well…" Altiel raised his glass. "To the Backdraft reborn!"

"To the Backdraft reborn!" Slater echoed.

Off to one side, the barkeep from before heard nearly every word the two of them had spoken. His eye wide with shock, he quickly slipped out the back and made his way to the rear office.

Christian had to know about this. And knowing him, he was not going to be happy…

* * *

**DR: **Ahh, the plot thickens...

**Shadow:** You'll have to bear with DR today, I think that weekend away has affected his thinking...

**Zeke:** Yea... anyway, sorry for the late update, and please review!


	9. Trouble Maker

**DR:** And now we take a break from the Blitz, and visit a certain young lady, who just happens to be a decendent of Raven...

**Shadow: **You mean Sarah? (looks confused)

**DR: **No, the other one.

**Shadow: **Oh, right.

**Zeke: **Will we get to see her zoid?

**DR: **Yep.

**Zeke: **Yess! (starts munching popcorn)

* * *

Chapter 9: Trouble Maker 

Captain Cassandra Cortez of the Guylos Imperial Army scowled as she read the message she had received from her 'uncle' Christian. Though they were not related in any way, she had grown up with him in that role. His sage, time honed advice had helped her through many difficult patches in her life. Even after she had gone away to join the Imperial Army, they had maintained contact. True during her first half dozen years she had not had the time to contact him much, but when she had, both of them had enjoyed it.

Her only real flaw, according to him, was she did not take note of what happened around her. He had poked her about that when she had gone to aid in the defence of his home, her place of birth. Those few days had opened her eyes, and so when she got back, once she was settled into her new post, she had begun to do some digging. For her efforts in the defence of the city, the Emperor had allowed her to choose her next assignment, no restrictions. She had also been made a member of his personal guard, a position of great importance and prestige.

Luckily, the Captain of the Emperor's Guard had been an old teacher, and a zoid battle fan. So he had known the right people to get in contact with, to find the right post for her where she could do the research she wanted to do. Being a member of the Emperor's Guard had its privileges, after all.

So here she was, assigned to the Valley of Hero's training base, one of the top training centres for the Guylos Army. And conveniently the home base of the Guylos Team… the official representatives of the Guylos Empire in the ZBC. Officially her role was to provide training data for the staff here, since she was the most experienced in fighting Cybrids. Despite the destruction of the Death Saurer/Helios, people were still worried that there were still divisions of Cybrid units hidden away, inactive. If someone was to find these units, and bring them back online…

Christian had known a lot about the ZBC, and had a lot of strings. Over the last three weeks she had been delving into the files dispatched to her, finding all sorts of interesting facts and titbits of information. Nothing was held back, it was all right there, the mistakes, the heroes, the glory and the price. She now knew all about the Backdraft and their criminal actions, the past records of the classes. But most interesting of all was the combat record of the Blitz team and its members.

Cassie had been amazed at the sudden transformation of the team. They had for a long time been a third rank team going nowhere. Barely hanging on to Class B by the skin of their teeth. Back then Leon had been team leader, with his sister Leena and the mercenary Brad as team-mates and Jamie as support. The Blitz would never have achieved anything…

…Had it not been for the fact that one day a certain young junk dealer called Bit Cloud had decided to scavenge parts from the battlefield when the team was to fight the Tigers team. One thing had lead to another, and Bit had met the Liger Zero. The two had become partners, and it had been them who had brought the team out of the gutter and up to stardom.

Shortly after Bit arrived Leon had left the team, to 'Find himself' as he had said. Almost a year later he had returned to battling, but this time as part of Naomi Fluegel team, bringing with him a rare Blade Liger. Naomi's record was very impressive. She in fact had never lost a battle until she met Bit and Liger Zero.

Then there were the three pilots who had been with the Backdraft: Vega Obscura, Pierce, and Stigma Stroller. Cassie had seen them in combat, and she was impressed, something that was very hard to do. Vega clearly had inherited the piloting skills of Raven, who was ancestor to both of them. Pierce too must have received something, as she was indirectly related to Raven too. Stroller however was a mystery. He had no real background, only rumours and speculation. Christian had hinted that he knew where to look, but there was very little to go on even then. It was clear that Strollers parents had never really amounted to much.

Cassie found her thoughts drifting back to the enigmatic man. Just who was he really, underneath that coat of strictness and cool reserve? He had a ruthless air about him, but yet… He reminded Cassie of Raven in so many ways…

Too bad he was also arrogant and sarcastic. Her blood still boiled at their argument when the team had been waiting for Leena's new zoid to emerge. He had been saved by the zoids arrival, but she could guess what he had been going to say…

She looked again at Christian's message. He told her that he had learned that the Backdraft might be on the up again, and they were most likely planning something against the Blitz. But to do anything they would need zoids and arms. He asked her if she could see if she could get security increased around the Imperial Armies munitions dumps, zoid stores and convoys. He wouldn't put it past the Backdraft to attempt to hi-jack a shipment of zoids or weapons.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her intercom whining. "Captain Cortez?" The voice was that of General Andrew Boyd, the commanding officer of the entire training base.

Cassie's hand came down to the intercom. "Yes General?"

"I've decided to run your training program today." Cassie could hear the grin in the General's voice. "Care to take part?"

Cassie grinned. "Of course… I mean yes sir, thank you sir."

"Well, get out to your starting point. The first Cadet will be dispatched in twenty minutes."

With a spring in her step, Cassie took the short walk from her office down to the staff's zoid hanger. Separate from the hanger housing the trainee's zoids, it ensured that the cadets didn't know what was going to be facing them beforehand. Once she got there, she took a moment to look up at her zoid.

The blood red Genosaurer seemed to radiant threat and menace. It had once been a standard Genosaurer, but it had been extensively customised. Now underneath the back mounted pulse lasers it had a set of ion boosters like a Geno Breaker had. The lasers themselves had been upgraded as well, increasing their range and hitting power. With the long laser blade projecting from the zoids forehead, the similarity to the Geno Breaker that Raven had piloted all those years ago was not lost on anyone.

All the damage done to the zoid during that Great Battle was fully repaired, and the metal seemed to glow with heat. The eyes were currently dim, but she knew as soon as she brought the zoid fully awake, those eyes would gleam with balefire.

_'Those cadets will think death itself is after them…' _she thought as the pilots' seat was extended down out of the zoids chest. As she sat down, Cassie thought about the exercise, and couldn't help but laugh gently.

_'It will be, but I'm not the one they should fear…' _

x x x x x x

Three hours later, the door to her office was slammed open. "Get in there!" Cassie's shout was as cold as deep space, and filled with threat.

A young woman in the clothing of an Imperial Army Cadet stepped into the office before Cassandra herself stepped through followed by General Boyd and Major Ratarn, commander of the trainees.

While the Cadet stood at attention before her desk, Cassie stepped behind it. The General took a seat to the side, while Major Ratarn leaned against the wall by the door. Cassie didn't sit down, but rather leaned forward over her desk, her fists planted on it. The General and Major exchanged a knowing look. This was the sigh that Captain Cortez was not just mad, she was furious. No mercy. With her razor sharp wit, fierce tongue and sub-zero demeanour, it was no wonder she was known as the 'Ice Queen Bitch from Hell.'

"So tell me Cadet Schubaltz? Give me one reason I should not write you up for gross insubordination, conduct unbecoming a member of this army, reckless disregard for protocol… shall I go on?"

As Cadet Schubaltz stood there for a second, Cassie took the time to look over the young woman before her. _'Woman? This is a girl pretending to be a mature adult.'_ The cadet was barely sixteen years old, short and a little plump, despite the merger rations the cadets got. Still, beneath that there were signs of future elegance and grace. The girls' dirty blond hair hung down her head in clumps, and her blue eyes were tight with worry. Her alabaster skin was even whiter around her face than normal. _'Good, at least she knows she's really gone and done it this time…' _

"Ma'am, permission to speak freely?" Cassie nodded to allow the cadet to do so.

"I still maintain that I think the exercise was pointless. The Empire has not been at war for over a hundred and sixty years. The Army itself is only ten percent of the strength it was even a hundred years ago. With almost no bandit groups worth mentioning in the world, the role of the Army is now defunct." Cadet Schubaltz paused to take a breath. "Furthermore, I find it had to believe that anyone would have designed a machine that way. It lacks any kind of…"

"Humanity?" Major Ratarn suggested.

"Logic, sir. The balancing act alone would require far more computing power than this entire base has. The machine also lacks structural reinforcement, and the weapons are vulnerable to hostile fire. The square box sections also make it an easy target."

Cassie stared at the young upstart, an eyebrow raised up. _'Illogical? She used that term to describe something designed by a machine?' _

The exercise in question had been one of the first that Cassie had put in place. In addition to scaring the pants off many of the cadets with her Genosaurer, she was also the one entrusted with the half dozen captured Cybrids. Christian had let the Empire, Republic and ZBC take a half dozen each, for use for training and trophies. He couldn't have stopped them anyway. At least this way he knew about each one and could follow up any movement.

The machine itself had been one of the dreaded Cerberus types. Cassie's blood still ran cold whenever she saw the fearsome war machine. To her the design was very logical: maximum firepower, maximum armour. They had proved just how deadly they were all too well: nearly three hundred people had died in that siege.

Cassie had decided the best way for the cadets to understand the monster was to surprise them with it. Each one was sent on a routine training mission, 'Tail the Hostile Zoid Without Getting Killed', but with the exception that she had been the aggressor. Her Genosaurer was rightly feared, and she had wanted to show the cadets that they should fear the Cerberus just as much, if not more.

"And ma'am, if you pardon my saying, your use of your own zoid was not fair in the least."

Cassie's eyes narrowed again. Since each of the cadets was assigned a Rev Raptor, her zoid was vastly more powerful, and they all knew it. She had used shock tactics to drive this point home. One cadet had taken one look at the blood red zoid poised above her, and had promptly fainted. The girl in question had to be recovered without having ever seen the Cerberus.

The other cadets had generally run screaming, but their howls of terror had rising several notches when they encountered the Cerberus. It had just been standing there, not even firing, but such was the aura of menace it projected that the cadets had screamed with horror. They had stood, rooted to the spot, their eye's fixed on that blood red gaze. Even the zoids had been anxious, recognising that this thing was natural.

However, Cadet Schubaltz had taken one look at the Cerberus, and had demanded on an open channel. "Is this a joke?" But then to add insult to injury, she had turned to face Cassie. "This must be most pointless exercise I've had to do here yet. It's not even worth my time."

With cold fury building in her veins, Cassie had hailed the Rev Raptor. "And who are you to decide what is or isn't pointless round here, cadet?"

"Ma'am, you may think that simply because you're favoured by the Emperor and his friends, that you can lord it over all of us. But from our level, you're nothing but hot air!"

That had torn it. Cassie, absolutely furious, had called a complete halt to the exercise, and ordered the young cadet to report to her office.

Now Cassandra stared at the young woman, not saying a word. Miranda locked her eyes and stared back, but a pit of snakes writhed in her gut. Now face-to-face, she had to admit that Captain Cortez was not the sort of officer you should cross. While she had gotten away with her blunt manners with the other trainers, Cortez was whole other breed of officer. Even now, straight out of a zoid exercise, she was still turned out perfectly, as if ready for a formal parade. "Wait outside Cadet Schubaltz." She said, icy daggers in her tone. Miranda nodded stiffly, before she stepped out of the office with stiff legs. No, Captain Cortez was not someone you wanted to annoy at all.

After the cadet had left the office, all three officers looked at each other in silence for a long moment. Cassie exhaled deeply before allowing herself to slump down into her chair. Both Ratarn and Boyd were old friends. "What are we going to do with her?"

"I wish I knew." Ratarn answered her rhetorical question. "She's bright, and I mean brilliant. I had to search her quarters a week ago since some cadet had brought drugs onto the base. She didn't have any, but what she did have were reams of notes and sketches about improvements to nearly all our zoids. Particularly the Rev Raptors. I think she has a soft spot for them…"

"Soft spot?" Cassie's eyebrow rose. Ratarn nodded.

"I've had a talk with our zoid technicians, and they all say that these ideas of hers are far in advance of what she should be capable of. Turns out she's even put a few into practice on her zoid…"

"A zoid provided by the Imperial Army." Boyd ground out.

"Yea… anyway, she could greatly help us if she transferred to research. But she refuses. She wants to be a pilot."

"And her attitude sucks." Cassie stood up to look out her office to where cadet Schubaltz sat. "Not to mention her total disregard for authority and discipline. Why are you defending her Mark?"

Boyd smiled. "I seem to recall another pupil of mine. She too was a right tearaway…" Cassie flushed in embarrassment.

"I may have been a difficult pupil, but at least I respected the chain of command. Schubaltz doesn't."

"And unfortunately, no one on this base really knows how to instil such a trait into a rebellious young woman." Boyd sighed.

Cassie agreed… but then froze. She thought back to when she had first joined the Imperial Army. She too had been a rebellious teenager. But one man had instilled into her the discipline she needed.

"General, I have an idea…"

x x x x x x

Derek Calisto stood back as he watched the new framework for his Genosaurer's head be lowered into place. His zoid had been decapitated during the siege by a massive plasma cannon toting Cybrid. Thankfully the Genosaurer's cockpit was in the zoids chest, otherwise his wife would be widow, and their third child would never see their father…

"Derek! You've got a call!" He turned towards the voice of his wife, Anna. Like the Blitz Team, the Raiders had their zoid hanger as a part of their home. But where as the Blitz were in the middle of a valley alone, with a broad and long base, the Raiders were in the suburbs of a major city, so their base was built like a tower. The hanger took up most of the ground – and second and third – floors, while a second hanger directly above contained the teams Transport Hammerhead. The result was that the living area of the base was tall but thin, with a corridor separating the rooms from the hangers. It was certainly cramped at times, and Derek envied the Blitz and their new mansion sized home. Still, the Raiders base was the most compact layout possible, given what had to be stored.

Derek walked briskly over to where his lovely wife stood. Her long brown hair hung down her back and shimmered slightly in the lights. Sharing a quick kiss, he stepped through into the operations centre, his office. From here he dealt with everything relating to the team and the battles they fought.

Settling down before the comm screen, he took it off hold. His eyes widened as he saw who had called. "Cassie! This is a surprise! How you been you old rebel?"

Cassandra smiled back. "Just fine you young teachers pet." Their friendly name-calling went back years. Cassie sighed and turned serious. "Derek, I've got a situation here…"

"What kind?"

Cassie turned slightly away. "I'm sending you a file on a sub channel. It's a record of a cadet here at this base." Derek looked over at the secondary monitor and saw the data coming.

"Miranda Karl Schubaltz. Sixteen years old… chronic insubordination… Highly inventive… I see. She's been giving you trouble?"

"Yea. She has no respect for authority or discipline at all. The other trainers are at a loss, they simply can't figure out what to do with her."

Derek smiled slowly as he began to figure out why Cassie had called. "And you think I could whip her into shape?"

"Well, it worked with me…" Cassie blushed, something that very rarely happened to her. "Would you be willing to take her on your team, at least for a while? She'll bring her own zoid, but since it's only a Rev Raptor, I'd expect you'd want something else…"

"Well, I'd rather have you on the team to be honest. But I'm sure I can figure out some way to use her and her zoid. Even if only as cannon fodder."

Cassie smiled sadly. "You'd never do that. And I appreciate the offer Derek, but I'm not sure. I won't say I haven't thought about resigning my commission and entering the ZBC, but…" She trailed off.

"Well, there'll always be a place for you here if you change your mind."

"Thanks Derek. And thanks for helping me out here. I owe you one."

"Send a shipment of Genosaurer parts along with her and we'll call it even." Both pilots laughed together as they sighed off.

* * *

**DR: **Well, after that breather, we return to Pierce and her troubled heart. Will she make the right choice? Can she get out of her current situation without hurting anyone? Find out soon!

**Zeke: **Ann donrn mmset teesdsiew!

**DR: **Zeke! I've told you not to talk with your mouth full!

**Zeke: **(hangs head)

**Shadow:** What Zeke meant to say was 'And don't forget to review!'


	10. Matters of the Heart

**DR: **you know, I'm struggling to think of something to say here...

**Shadow: **That's cuase you're still thinking about that 'Firefly'...

**Zeke: **A firefly! Where? (Starts running around)

**Shadow: **Not that kind of firefly idiot!

* * *

Chapter 10: Matters of the Heart 

"So Pierce, you never told me about that other man you're seeing. Come on, what's he like?"

Pierce looked up at Rico's question, slightly startled. They were again sitting in the small bar that Rico had taken her too before. Pierce had not been impressed the first time there, and this visit, their fourth, was not any better. And yet again he had forced her to ride with him, not showing up till it was almost their booked time.

"What's there to tell?" She replied, stalling for time.

"How about whether you really are going out with him or not?"

"Well, we…" Pierce gulped, trying to think of a way around this. "We've not yet been on a date, as such…"

"So you're not going out with him."

"Well, yes I suppose…" Pierce shook her head. Rico had done this before, steering the conversation around to her. He deflected any questions he asked, and as of yet he had not even mentioned how he had gotten hold of a Storm Sworder.

"So why are you hung up about him them?"

"We both… feel an attachment." _'Is that all I think of Jamie now, an "attachment"?' _

Rico looked genuinely confused. "But, how can you have an 'attachment' when you've never gone out together?"

Pierce sighed. "We work together…"

Rico sat back, looking thoughtful. "Well, that narrows it down to the Blitz Team then. You having any of the newly wedded men behind their wives backs?"

"NO! How dare you even suggest that!" Pierce sat bolt upright in her seat, her eyes narrowed.

"Well, that leaves just the old Doc, Stroller, or one of the two boy's, Vega and… oh I forget his name." Slowly a smirk spread across his face. "You banging that mystery man Stroller? Did you use to, when you were both at the Backdraft?"

"No, I didn't! And just for your information, it's not Stroller."

"But then that leaves either a man old enough to be your father, or…" Something in her face must have given her away. "Which is it; Vega or that other one…"

Pierce's head dropped forwards. "Jamie."

"Man Pierce, isn't he a little young for you? He's what, fifteen, sixteen?"

"Actually, he turned eighteen a week ago."

Rico's face twisted into a scowl. "He's the pilot of the Raynos, and used to pilot a Pteras? Short kid with black hair, looks permanently lost?"

Pierce glanced back up at him. "Hey, he's my friend!"

"Man, what do you see in such a short little squirt? He's way shorter than you, and his 'skills'… laughable!" He broke into a short laugh. "Worse pilot I've seen in years. A wounded bird could out fly him!"

"He's much better than he used to be!"

"Ha! That's simply because he's got a Raynos. Classic case of the zoid making up for non-existent piloting skill in its pilot. Put another pilot, a real pilot, in an opposing Raynos, and he'll be torn to shreds in seconds."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this!" Pierce sat back in shock. "You're attacking my best friend in the team!"

"Well, you have to admit, he is the most pathetic one on it. With the possible exception of that lady pilot who got herself knocked up. That must have been funny…"

Pierce shot up, her face red with anger. "Take me home, right now!"

"Hey, we don't leave until I say we do!" Rico countered hotly. Other diners were now looking at them, the clearly angry female with her exotic hair, against the roguishly handsome man.

"Oh really?" Pierce said quietly, before she reached out suddenly. Before he could react, she had snatched the keys to his bike from his pocket.

"Hey, give those back!" He lunged after her, but she danced back out of his reach.

"I'm going home now. You can either stay here, or keep your ride and take me home."

_'Oh how I would love to "take you", right here, right now…' _But Rico managed to keep such thoughts from his face. "Fine, we'll go."

Together the two of them walked out of the bar, neither looking at the other. As they had before, Pierce sat behind Rico, as far back as she could. She hooked her fingers into his belt, unwilling to put her arms around him. _'Bloody typical that his bike has no handholds for someone catching a ride…' _

x x x x x x

Back at the Blitz base, Pierce heaved a sigh of relief as she swung off Rico's bike. During the ride back, she had been thinking hard. Going out with Rico had not helped her sort out the mess in her head at all. In fact, he complicated everything.

But when he began to insult Jamie, Pierce realised that he was not the sort she was interested in. She was still not sure about her feelings towards Jamie, but one thing for sure was that she had to face them with him, not alone.

As she stepped away, Rico reached out and clashed her elbow. "Look Pierce, I'm sorry about earlier. Guess the thought that you'd be interested in a much younger man than yourself kind of threw me off." He managed to look sorry too. "Can I make it up somehow?"

Pierce shook her head sadly. "I don't think so Rico." She gently pulled her arm free.

"Please?"

She couldn't resist that pleading look. "All right, what did you have in mind?"

_'Yes, got her…' _"Let me treat you to one more dinner out…"

Pierce was too tired to argue. "Okay, fine." And with that she turned away and headed into the base. Behind her, Rico sat back on his bike, a broad and dark grin on his face.

Mindful of the late hour, Pierce tried to make as little noise as possible as she walked inside. She didn't want to wake anyone…

"You're early tonight." Stroller's voice came out of the room to her left, as did the light of the lamp he switched on suddenly. Looking towards his voice, Pierce was just able to make him out against the glare. As her eyes adjusted, she was able to see that he was frowning, and the corners of his mouth were turned down. His grey eyes seemed to pin her to the spot.

"Stig, what are you doing up so late?"

"I could ask you the same little lady." Pierce bristled at his use of her nickname. She had gained that at the Backdraft, since when she had first joined she had been short. But about sixteen she had suddenly began to grow taller, till she reached her present height of five foot eleven. In the world of zoid piloting, where the average height was closer to the five foot eight mark, she had towered over many of the other pilots. But her nickname had stuck, the others way of teasing her about it.

"But instead, I'll ask what you are doing Pierce? Jamie not enough for you?"

"Look, he called me first! And besides, you're not my father! I can do what I like thank you very much!"

Stroller leaned back, his eyes narrowed. "What's gotten into you Pierce? Lately you've been acting odd. Everyone's noticed it."

"I'm fine." Stroller's expression didn't change. "Really, I am."

"Then why are you so jumpy? You've been snappy with everyone in the team. Sneaking out late to head off with that 'Old Friend' of yours…"

"Just what are you implying?" Pierce had heard the undertones in Stroller's voice.

"Lets just say I don't like the look of him."

Pierce looked at him in shock. What was he saying?

"Look Pierce, after our little talk before the others got back, I thought you and Jamie were pretty settled. Now, I have to wonder just whether you meant what you said. You need to ask yourself, just why are you seeing that man?"

"None of your business!" Pierce snarled before she turned away and raced up the stairs. Behind her, Stroller sighed deeply as he listened to her footsteps. _'This helping others thing is tougher than I thought…' _

Upstairs, Pierce threw herself onto her bed, and unable to hold back anymore, cried into her pillow.

x x x x x x

The next day the team headed out to do battle with the Supernova Team, a team that specialised in the use of highly accurate laser fire. Their long ranged blasts could cripple other zoids with ease, and when coupled with the advanced tracking systems they had installed, it was like facing a team of snipers.

Jamie and Pierce were deployed to strafe the other team, while Brad, Leon, Bit, Leena and Vega would try to close in. Like any force that specialised on one aspect of combat, the Supernova team had a major weakness. In their case, it was close ranged fighting. The problem was getting close enough.

As they prepared to launch, Jamie noticed that Pierce seemed distracted, her eye's red. She hadn't been engaging with the rest of the team like she normally did. Even the little liger was excluded. Something was seriously wrong with her, even he could see that.

"Pierce, what's wrong?" He asked, concern in his eyes.

"Nothing…" She half-muttered in reply, not even looking at him. Before he could probe further she had climbed into her zoid. Sighing with frustration, Jamie followed her example.

On the field the team assembled. Leena stood in the centre, her weapons armed. Her role according to Jamie was to provide covering fire for the others, a role she and the Iguanosaur were well suited for. Everyone else would head for the other team at full speed. Bit had mobilised the Jaeger armour, while Vega had elected to use the Fury's Storm Unit. Brad and Leon were going to try and flank the other team.

Across the barren plain the other teams zoids stood. Each one had been heavily customised. To the rear was a row of four Dibisons, and these showed the most change. The set of nine back cannons had been replaced by four long ranged lasers, while the side sets of guns had been replaced by half as many medium ranged pulse lasers. Each one of them could throw out a curtain of laser fire.

Six Guysacks stood before the heavier zoids as a screen. They looked pretty standard, except the tail guns appeared to have been upgraded. Splitting the scorpion zoids was a Command Wolf, the back guns again replaced with pulsed lasers.

As they waited for the judge, Leena was already planning her fire. Normally in the past she would not have bothered, but with all her recent experiences and changes it actually made sense to her. _'One missile barrage per Bison, while I walk the cannon fire across those Guysacks…' _

The Judge landed at that moment, and it quickly started the battle. **"The Blitz Team Vs the Supernova Team, battle mode 0872. Ready… FIGHT!" **

Leena triggered her missiles, the salvos of powerful warheads rocketing forwards, overtaking the rest of the Blitz teams zoids as they powered forward. The Dibisons were already firing their back lasers, filling the air with super dense bolts of coherent light. The Guysacks fired their tail weapons too, but much slower than normal. Clearly the Supernova's had exchanged rate of fire for range and hitting power.

With a roar, the Liger Zero engaged the Jaeger armour, the oversized ion boosters on its back blasting forth a missive plume of thrust each. Not to be outdone, the Fury also engaged its boosters, the huge Storm Unit's engines rocketing the zoid forwards. The missile salvos rocked the Dibisons, while the Guysacks dived under the sand to evade the curtain of shells Leena had unleashed. The Command Wolf charged forwards, its lasers already angling upwards to fend off Jamie and Pierce.

Across the field, one of the Dibison pilots tried to acquire the Shadow Fox. He frowned as the targeting system was struggled to lock on. He swept his targeting sights across the running Fox, but there was nothing. He triggered his lasers, each of the four extended range lasers firing in sequence.

Brad smiled as none of the bolts came close. Dr Layon's first development of a transparent lacquer that absorbed radar, rendering the Fox invisible to sensors at anything but point blank range, was working well. He had been warned though that any hits would remove the lacquer, ensuring more hits.

The Guysacks came up, and began to fire again. Despite nothing hitting the team, the Blitz was struggling to stay ahead of the rain of lasers. One bison zeroed in on Leon, when suddenly a pair of missiles hit its side. As the heavy zoid tottered and fell, Pierce streaked overhead.

But even as a barrage from Leena knocked a second Dibison off its feet, the Wolf had pivoted around and put a curtain of laser fire across the Storm Sworders nose. Pierce failed to react in time, and the silver flying zoid flew right through. Smoke streaming from one of the upper engines, the zoid arched down to the ground, out of the fight.

With two of the Dibisons removed, the hail of fire was dramatically cut, and the Blitz could push forwards better. Jamie strafed the Guysacks at full speed, knocking a couple reeling. As Leena fired again, those two failed to react in time and were cut apart by her main weapons.

The remaining two Dibisons opened up with their side lasers now, and for the Blitz it was like a wall of laser fire came at them. There was just too much to evade, and both Bit and Vega took several hits. However neither pilot gave up and they pushed on harder.

Leon and Brad were close enough now to fire back, and they quickly opened up on the Guysacks. Leon's target escaped since the Ligers lasers could not be brought down enough to track, but the Shadow Fox had no such problem and the Guysack was quickly knocked out.

One of the Dibison pilots, seeing Bit and Vega slowed, fired a brace of bolts towards Leena, who so far had not been targeted. The Iguanosaur may have been a larger target, but it was fast on its feet, far faster than people would have thought. Only one bolt hit and punched right through the armour over the right thigh. The others missed, but only barely. In response, Leena unleashed her missiles again. Jamie tried to combine his attack with hers, but the Wolf put up AA fire, driving him off.

Despite that, one Dibison was knocked off its feet, while the other had to brace itself to remain standing. Bit and Vega, seeing their chance, charged forwards, as did Leon. Brad carved a second Guysack apart, smirking as he did so. _'Their so fixated on Bit and Vega that they don't realise the rest of us are here until we strike.' _

The Dibisons tried to reacquire the charging Liger Zero and Fury, but they were closing too fast. Bit leapt high into the air before coming down on the Command Wolf, who had been concentrating on holding off Jamie so much that he had failed to see the closing Liger. "Strike Laser Claw!" He yelled as the Liger carved into the smaller zoid.

Vega grinned as the Fury kicked up before ploughing feet first into the less damaged Dibison. Having almost a hundred and thirty tons of pure zoid aggression slam into you at over four hundred kilometres per hour is not healthy for anything, as the Dibison found out the hard way. The impact alone was enough to knock the zoid for six.

Leon pounced on one Guysack, almost flattening the smaller zoid, before diving at the second. It tried to escape under the sand, but Leon deployed his laser blades and used a short kick from the Liger to spin through the air. The laser blade cut through the sand as easily as the Guysack.

Vega looked left and saw the last Dibison lining up a shot, but then Jamie dived in from above, every weapon blazing. The weakened zoid couldn't withstand the barrage, and it slumped down.

**"The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is… the Blitz team!" **

x x x x x x

As the Hover Cargo rumbled home late that night, Sarah walked into the upper observation deck. Stroller had told her about the talk he had had with Pierce the previous night, and she was determined to sort the young flyer out. And when Sarah Obscura Toros wanted something, very little could stop her.

As she had expected, Sarah found Pierce stood there, staring out over the plains. Without a word, she stepped up besides the other woman, looking out across the world.

"Save it Sarah, I've already had the lecture from Stig."

Sarah turned to look at Pierce, noting the tears on the younger woman's face. "I'm not here to lecture you. I want to help." As Pierce began to turn away, Sarah continued. "Running away is not going to make things any easier you know. In fact, it could make things worse."

Pierce stopped her motion, but did not turn back.

"I don't understand you right now Pierce. It was clear to everyone after that siege that you and Jamie cared deeply for each other. I've seen the look in his eyes when he looks at you. The lad adores you. What do you think he would think of your actions right now?"

"I don't know what to think anymore…" Pierce replied in half whisper.

Sarah reach out and rested her hand on Pierce's shoulder. Slowly she turned her back to face her. "Care to talk about it?"

Pierce at last met Sarah eyes, tears streaming from her own. "It's just…" she began, but she trailed off.

"Just what?" Sarah asked gently.

Pierce's head hung. "…I love him, but I love him for what he is now!" Her admission was punctuated by a sob. "Part of me can't bear the thought of losing that part of him I love, but I know that it will if we get any closer!" Her voice quietened. "Part of me thinks I shouldn't be thinking about him that way anyway, since he's…"

"Six years your junior?" Sarah sadly smiled. "Pierce, your listening to your head and convection. What does your heart say?" Pierce looked up at her then, shock in her eyes. Pierce had never known Sarah to speak like this.

"I want him…"

"Then why don't you see how he reacts? You never know, he might surprise you…"

* * *

**Moonbay: **So sad...

**River: **A moth circles the flame, but she need not fear...

**DR: **(starts) River! What the hell are you doing here?

**River: **(looks spookily at DR) Do you? (walks away silently)

**Irvine: **That girls... weird...

**DR: **Yea, but you should have seen her a few months ago... anyway, next time things are going to come to a head...

**Moonbay: **Oh the tension!

**DR: **(sighs) Please review people.


	11. Dirty Tricks

**DR: **Well I'm back with more! Passions will rise...

**Raven: **(walks in nursing a mug of coffee) Please, don't talk about passions.

**DR: **(looks at Raven, notes the bags under each eye) Bad night? since Resse isn't here...

**Raven: **(flushs while trying to look angry)

**DR: **...I'm guessing that something else is the cause of this?

**Raven: **Those two bloody lovebirds off _Serenity, _That's who!

**DR: **Oh, you mean Simon and Kaylee? (grins broadly)

**Bit: **It was about time those two got together... (smirks)

(**_Kaylee _**walks in wrapped in robe)

**Kaylee: **Hey! (smiles her enternally sunny smile. Raven scowls)

**DR: **Hi Kaylee. Don't mind Raven, he's just annoyed at your... late night activites with Simon.

**Kaylee: **(smiles even wider while blushing, then sees screen) Oh! This your story thing I've heard so much about?

**DR: **Yep, though you might not be so keen to read thestuff going in today. It's a bit... nasty

**Shadow:** How so?

**DR: **Cadet Schubaltz arrives at the 'Raiders' base, and things with Rico come to a head... drugs, lewd thoughts, bad language (for me)and some violence ahead.

* * *

Chapter 11: Dirty Tricks 

Derek was sitting in his office when the troublesome Imperial cadet arrived. He had planed this first meeting down to the smallest detail. If this Miranda Schubaltz was as difficult as Cassie said, then he was going to have his work cut out.

Anna showed the young woman in, her eyes sending him a private message. _'Watch yourself. This one's a handful.'_

Derek leant back in his seat as he looked over Miss Schubaltz. Barely sixteen, a little below average height, and very pale features. Her dirty blond hair hung down in bags, and she still retained some of the plumpness of youth. _'Cassie was right. She's barely a woman.'_

He noticed however that there was a spark of defiance in her bright blue eyes, at odds with her youthful features. Clearly this Miranda, like Cassie, tolerated no nonsense. Fine, he could handle that.

Before he could examine her further, Miranda snapped to attention. "Cadet Miranda Schubaltz reporting as ordered, sir!" The last word dripped with both sarcasm and confusion.

"Stand easy Miranda, I'm not military. And this isn't a military base."

Her eyes were filled with questions. "Sir?"

"What were you told when you where dispatched here?"

"Captain Cortez…" Derek noted the disdain in Miranda's voice as she said Cassie's name. "…Told me I was being sent here for 'Special Training' sir."

Derek couldn't help but grin brieflyat Cassie's choice of words. "I suppose that's correct, after a fashion."

"After a _fashion_?" It was all Derek could do to not laugh at the mixture of total confusion and outrage on the young woman's face. As it was he barely managed to keep an impassive face.

"It's really quite simple Miranda. Cassandra, Captain Cortez, sent you to me because you have a total disregard for authority." Derek made his voice grow cold. "You also automatically assume that you're right all the time." Miranda's eye tightened in anger. She opened her mouth to speak, but Derek cut her off.

"I'm not finished. Now, around here I'm in charge, and what I say goes. I'll listen to your ideas, but don't expect me to accept everything you say wholesale. As part of your 'Special Training' I'll be sending you out as part of my zoid battle team. Trust me; you will always get knocked out."

Miranda's widened in shock. "That bitch sent me to a zoid battle team in the ZBC?"

"Not just any team, but one in Class S. You know what that means?" The sudden widening of her eyes showed that Miranda knew. "Good, so I hope you know how to maintain and repair your zoid, since you're responsible for it. You're going on a crash course on the reasons behind a chain of command, and how far it can be pushed. Now, Jane will show you to where you'll be sleeping. I expect she's down in the hanger with her Zaber Fang."

Miranda nodded before turning around to step towards the door. Derek let her get one foot outside before he called out. "Oh, one more thing."

Miranda turned about to look at him. "Sir?"

"Captain Cortez happens to be a close friend of mine. In fact, she's like a sister to me." Around her eyes Miranda's skin paled very rapidly. "So I would appreciate it if you would refrain from insulting her. She happens to be one of the best zoid pilots I know."

Miranda gulped as she realized just how badly she had put her foot in it. _'I just called his best friend a bitch… oh shit!'_

"For your entire stay here, you'll maintain the standards of the Imperial Army at all times. Your room is to be spotless, your zoid in perfect condition and your appearance conforming to regulations. And don't think you can bluff your way around me, I know that book cover to cover by heart." Derek turned away in dismissal. "Now, go get your kit stored, and then get your zoid ready for inspection. I intend to have a good look at it in one hour."

_'One hour! That's nowhere near enough time! I'm so screwed!' _Miranda practically flew from the office.

Derek waited until her could no longer hear her footsteps before he allowed himself to smile.

"Honey, I don't mean to criticize, but that's the coldest act I've ever seen you pull." Anna said from the open door.

"She needs to learn and understand the fact that she's not the centre of the world." Derek grinned up at his wife. "And if you think that was harsh, be glad you didn't see the same scene with Cassie sixteen years ago…"

x x x x x x

Pierce sighed as she prepared to go out again with Rico. She didn't want to, but she had promised to. Besides, as he had implied, it was not as if she was cheating on Jamie by going out with him…

_'Then why do I feel so guilty?'_ She asked herself while slipping her jacket on. Part of it was that she was going to tell Rico it was over between them, and not to call her again. Pierce had spent a long time last night thinking, and she knew that whatever happened, she wanted to be with Jamie and the rest of the Blitz, rather than Rico.

Still, there was the sense of going behind Jamie's back. Pierce felt like she was being dishonest, and she hated that feeling.

Quietly she slipped down the main stairs. Ahead of her she could hear Bit and Leena laughing together, while the back of Leon and Sarah's heads could be seen just above the seats. Hopefully no one needed to know she was out…

"Going somewhere Pierce?" She spun round to look at Stroller, standing in the doorway to one of the other rooms. The corners of his mouth were turned down and his eyes hard.

"It's the last time Stig." Pierce sighed. "I'm going to tell him it's over between us."

"Really? Which one?"

"You know damn well which one Stroller!" Pierce snapped. Behind her Jamie had stepped out from the Kitchen and was watching the exchange. "Despite my misgivings about me and Jamie, I know there's no future between me and Rico. So after tonight I won't see him again, except on the battlefield."

She shouldered past Stroller and reached for the door, but then paused.

"Oh, and as I told you before, your not my father!" And with that she stormed out.

Stroller turned to look at Jamie, whose eyes were wide with shock. Noticing that the others had completely missed the little scene that had just occurred, he sighed in relief. It would have been difficult to explain the situation to them…

He turned around again before stepping up to the door to look out the window, Jamie right beside him. Together, they watched as Pierce stepped in a sleek sports car with Rico, who was grinning with both pride… and something else. Stroller couldn't pin it down, but it caused his stomach to turn over…

Glancing down at Jamie, he saw that the young lad was thinking the same thing he was. Without a word, they both turned and headed for the hanger. While Jamie opened the doors, Stroller brought one of the teams jeeps out. Worry lent speed to their motions, and Stroller pushed the jeep to the max as he tried to catch up with Pierce and Rico…

x x x x x x

Pierce didn't look up at Rico as he placed her drink on the table before her. Rico had ordered his usual, while she had ordered a soft drink. That had sent alarm bells ringing in Rico's head.

"Come on Pierce, you've been quiet since I picked you up. What's the matter?" He asked as he slid into the seat across from her. Through the slightly smoky air of the bar, he could see that her face was creased with guilt.

Pierce didn't reply at once, instead taking a long drink from her glass to buy herself time. "Rico…" she said at last once she had put the glass down. "…I'm afraid we can't go out any more."

"Why not?" Rico asked blithely.

"Because I… it feels wrong to me."

"How so?"

Pierce took a second drink to gather her thoughts.

"Because… I love someone…"

"Jamie?"

Pierce nodded. Rico sat back, his arms crossed over his chest. Surprisingly to Pierce, he didn't seem annoyed.

"He must be pretty good in bed then."

Pierce shook her head. "We haven't gone that far yet, but I feel that there is potential there…"

"What about us?"

"Nothing Rico. You're a nice guy…" _'Sometimes.'_ "…But you're just not my type."

"But short, shy, pathetic Jamie is?"

Pierce's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'd advise you not to speak that way about my friends…"

"Sorry." Rico's face however showed that he was not sorry at all. Exasperated, Pierce took another long drink to calm herself down.

"Look, I needed to gain some perspective, and now I have. So this little 'thing' we've been having is over Rico. I'd appreciate it if you didn't call me again."

"Fair enough." Rico stated, startling Pierce. "Once you finish your drink, I'll take you home." He gestured to her half empty glass.

Pierce raised it to her lips as he did the same with his. She didn't know why, but she was feeling sleepy all of a sudden. Sure, she had pushed herself during that siege, and lately she had barely gotten any sleep, but still…

As she drained the glass, Pierce found herself feeling dizzy, and her sight became blurred. Struggling to focus, she stared at the bottom of her glass. Then in a moment of clarity, she saw a small pile of un-dissolved powder in the base of her glass… Her eye line shot up to glare at Rico's face.

"You…" She tried to yell, but the only thing that came out was a whisper.

"You say something?" Rico asked, his body language relaxed.

"You…" Pierce whispered again as she felt herself going limp. She slumped forwards across the table, one arm hanging down her side. As her vision dimmed, her voice was barely a mummer. "You bastard…" Then darkness took her…

x x x x x x

Seated a couple of tables away, Stroller watched in shock as Pierce slumped in her seat. Rico sat there grinning for a second, before he picked her up by one arm, which he slung across his shoulders. With her arm resting across his shoulders, he proceeded to carry her outside.

Quickly rising, Stroller and Jamie made their way after Rico; Stroller swiping her glass as they passed the table Pierce and Rico had been sat at. They exited the bar just as Rico was sitting down in his seat. Pierce was already sat slumped in the passenger seat. Even as they were scrambling into their jeep, Rico was pulling away, the tires kicking up dust as he gunned the cars engine.

Jamie was glad to be leaving the bar, since it was full of seedy types. Not one other patron had raised an eyebrow when Pierce had slumped in her seat, not had anybody seemed to care when Rico had dragged her out. But all that paled into insignificance when compared to the worry about Pierce that filled his heart. What was that sick man planning to do to her? Jamie found himself gripping his seat in fear.

Stroller's eyes were like slits as he pushed the jeeps engine for all it was worth. He was holding the wheel so tightly that his fingernails were going to leave marks. He had known from the moment he had laid eyes on him that this Rico was bad news. And now his hunch was proved right. But he had never thought that he would drug Pierce and abduct her!

One thing for sure with both men was that when they caught up with him, if Rico had harmed one teal hair on Pierce's head, neither of them would be able to hold back…

x x x x x x

Rico smirked to himself as he pulled up to the trailer he used as a home. For him, mobility was key, but he refused to live in a standard caravan, so he had acquired this twin deck, broad mobile home. Hauled around by a Gustav, it allowed him to live in style yet move with ease whenever the locals got too friendly. Or found out he was tapping their water and power supplies, or using their phone lines.

He eased the car inside the attached garage trailer, rolling it into the space he had left. His heavy bike was off to one side. Whistling to himself happily, he scooped up the unconscious form of Pierce from the passenger seat before carrying her through into the main section of the home.

Outside a short distance away, Stroller brought the jeep to a stop. Before them the road split, with several homes along both ways. They had missed seeing where Rico had turned off.

"How are we going to find them now?" Stroller cursed. Jamie didn't answer; he just stared at the fork ahead.

Rico was feeling very pleased with himself. After bringing Pierce into the main living area, he had stripped off her coat before laying her down on the table. He had held off going further though, since he needed a drink. As he poured it, he looked up again at the photo pasted to the wall, the one of the class. He raised his mug of champagne to the picture. "To finishing unfinished business."

Jamie was almost ready to scream, when he noticed the dirt track just before the fork in the road, with fresh tire tracks. It had rained during the day, and just before the track was a puddle…

"Stroller, turn right, up that track!" He cried, pointing at the track. Stroller looked, before glancing at Jamie.

"How do you know that's the way he went?"

"No time to explain, just drive!"

Stroller shrugged, then turned off the road and followed the route. Once they were on the track, it became apparent that it was recent, and made wide enough for a Gustav. It led round a copse of trees, and parked out of sight of the homes nearby was one of those common zoids. Attached to the back of the small transport zoid was a twin-decked mobile home, with a smaller trailer with a rear ramp. Off to one side was a standard zoid transportation trailer, with a Storm Sworder perched on top. There was a light on within the main trailer…

Rico grinned evilly as he continued to strip Pierce of her pants. He had already undone her shirt, opening it up to reveal her black lace bra. He was amazed at the length of her legs; they just seemed to keep on going! He noticed that she was starting to come round, groaning and rolling her head. But he knew that she was still too far-gone to stop him now. The drug he had given her would last a while yet, more than enough time for him to complete his business with her. He was so engrossed in his actions he failed to notice the sounds of Jamie and Stroller entering the trailer…

As they entered the main room, both men saw the situation clearly, Stroller's eyes narrowed, his lips curling down into a snarl. Jamie at first was wide eyed in shock, but then his eyes too narrowed. Acting quickly, he rapidly approached Rico, who was starting to undo his own pants.

Rico was grinning down at the half naked form of Pierce lying before him on the table. He was just about to remove her underwear when a young male voice came from his right. "Hey, LEAVE HER ALONE!" He turned towards the voice, only for his face to meet a fist.

Jamie's blow struck Rico just below the eye, knocking the older man for six. Rico staggered back and tripped over his own pants, falling down hard on the cabin floor. Jamie, his moment of rage gone, turned to see how Pierce was. He gently took her head in his hands, brushing back a stray lock of hair. "Pierce, you okay? It's Jamie." He asked her quietly.

Pierce was barely able to see, her eyesight blurry and her senses numb. She heard his words, but couldn't string together a single thought. She tried to focus on the person holding her head, but it was so hard. Yet, the feeling of his hands was somehow familiar…

Rico glared up from the floor at the young man with Pierce. How dare he barge in like this! He'd make him pay for this! But before he could get up, a second man stepped in between him and Jamie. Looking up, Rico came face to face with the stern expression of Stigma Stroller. Rico felt all fight leave him as he looked up at that harsh, angular face, the grey eyes burning with anger.

"You're a right bastard aren't you?" Stroller sneered as he grabbed Rico by his collar. He yanked the smaller man up to his level, staring into his eyes. Stroller's free hand balled into a fist and drew back, but then he paused. For a second Rico thought that he wasn't going to strike him, but then Stroller's fist opened up, and he belted Rico across the face, letting him go at the same time. Rico spun round before falling to the floor, out cold.

Meanwhile Jamie was helping Pierce put her clothing back on, trying not to touch her skin too much. His face was flushed red with embarrassment as he hastily buttoned her shirt. She tried to stand to bring her pants back up, but her knees were weak and she would have fallen to the floor if Jamie had not caught her. He pulled her pants up for her, quickly fastening them roughly. As they staggered out, Jamie snagging her coat on the way, Stroller picked up a cell phone from the worktop. He quickly punched in the number for the local security forces.

"Hello? I'd like to report an attempted rape, and the possible recovery of stolen goods." He added, eyeing the room he was in, and the array of expensive goods lying around. There was no way that a man on a military pay check could afford all this. It smelt all too fishy to Stroller.

"On the outskirts of Romeo City, Tarkin district, mobile home hidden behind a small wood. I'll leave the line open so you can trace it. A team-mate and I are taking the victim home. She's a member of our zoid team too." Stroller was about to lay the phone down, but he stopped. The officer who answered wished to know his name, as well as the names the witness and the victim. Stroller stood there for a long moment, not sure if he should answer. In the end he decided.

"Stigma Stroller. My team-mate is Jamie Hemeros, and the victim is Pierce. Blitz team." Then he laid the phone down on the worktop before following the others through towards the jeep.

* * *

**Kaylee: **Oh, that's so sweet of him...

**Raven: **The bleep got what was coming to him too...

**DR: **Indeed. Next time Pierce recovers, and then thanks Jamie for coming after her...

**Raven: **Let me guess. More bedroom athletics...

**Kaylee: **Really? (eyes sparkle)

**DR: **(grins broadly) What do you think?

**Zeke: **And remember people, reviews are always more than welcome!


	12. That Final Step

**DR: **It's that timeagain...

**O'Neill: **What? Time to stay away from a women here 'cause they're so testy...

(gets glared at by Janet, Leena, Kaylee, Sam, Naomi, Zoe, Sarah and Pierce. River just looks puzzled)

**O'Neill: **What?

**DR: **No, not that. Time for another story update! This chapter deals mainly with Pierce, and a certain young pilot...(smirks)

* * *

Chapter 12: That Final Step 

By the time they returned to the Blitz Base, Pierce was feeling a bit better, certainly more alert. The fresh air had helped her clear her head. Throughout the drive she had sat in the back supported by Jamie. She was still feeling unsteady on her feet, and her vision was still wavering however. It was decided that she would go straight to bed to sleep off the drug that Rico had spiked her drink with.

As the three of them entered the lounge of the base, Naomi looked up from her place under Brad's arm. Her eye's widened in shock as she saw the condition Pierce was in. "Good lord, what happened to you?" Her alarmed voice attracted attention from the others in the team, who all looked up.

Jamie grimaced as he considered what they saw. Pierce was leaning heavily on him since her own legs were acting more like sticks. Her free arm hung loose and her hair hung down in a mess. Despite his best efforts, her clothing was all done up wrong, the bottom of the shirt hanging free.

Stroller stepped forwards while Jamie led Pierce towards the closest stairs. "In brief, she went out to see an… old friend, who spiked her drink."

Sarah gasped before she rushed out of the kitchen to Pierce's free side. "How bad?"

Stroller pulled the glass out of the pocket he had put it in. "Not sure, but it put her out for about a half hour, and she's still feeling woozy. This is the glass she drank from."

"What was he going to do?" Leena asked, worry in her voice. Bit hugged her a little tighter out of reflex.

Stroller paused, unsure how to tell the team…

"He was going to rape me…" Pierce managed to say, her voice barely more than a whisper. Several sharp intakes of breath filled the room.

"What about…?"

"Relax Naomi, the local security forces should be all over him by now." Stroller told them. "I called it in, and not only because of what he was going to do. He had a lot of stuff there, very little of which he could have afforded on a military pay scheme."

"You think he dealt with stolen goods?" Brad asked.

Stroller nodded. "The fact that he was living in an expensive mobile home that was hidden away from the road raised my suspicions."

Sarah looked down at Jamie after she had a look at Pierce. "Get her to bed, that's the best we can do for her right now. I hope the computer can identify the drug used…" She picked up the glass in her hand, wrapped in a handkerchief, while Jamie assisted Pierce up the stairs.

"If not, I'm sure the Security Forces will be able to. They'll probably want the glass as evidence…"

Jamie didn't hear any more since he and Pierce had reached the second floor and were now heading down the corridor. Slow they made their way past Brad and Naomi's room, then past Bit's old room. He had moved across the building to sleep with Leena in her room.

As they came up to the door to Vega's room, Jamie heard the sound of pounding feet behind them. He paused to look over his shoulder, and was not surprised to see the team's pet liger bounding after them. While it was friendly with everyone in the team, she seemed particularly fond of Pierce.

Quickly they moved to Pierce's room, between Vega and Stroller's. Sliding the door open, Jamie gently carried Pierce inside, the liger right behind them. Slowly crossing to the bed, he helped her sit down slowly. Even so Pierce still flopped down, lacking the strength to even sit up right. Jamie helped her remove her coat and then her shoes before he pulled the cover across her as she dragged herself to the centre of the bed. The liger leapt up and laid down besides her, its head by hers. Pierce gently rested a hand on the liger's broad shoulder, taking comfort from the animal's presence. Jamie brushed a stray lock of teal hair back as he bent over her. "I'll go get a bucket, just in case…" he trailed off. Pierce just nodded weakly, too tired to argue.

Jamie quickly returned with the bucket, placing it gently by the side of the bed. "Pierce, it's just by the bed." He told her as he sat down besides her. "You'll just need to roll across to reach it." He gently rubbed her shoulder as he spoke.

"I hope I don't need it…" Pierce whispered.

"So do I…" he breathed in reply. Tenderly he bent over to kiss her on the forehead. "Get well soon, my beautiful little lady." He whispered into her ear softly, his hand moving up to her neck as he spoke. For a long moment he sat there, gentle cradling her jaw, before he drew back. He knew his presence was keeping her awake, and Pierce really needed her sleep. Everyone, including him, had noticed how she had looked constantly tired over the last few days.

As he stepped back out of the room, Pierce felt sleep overtake her again. But just before the darkness fell, she realised something, something she had never expected at all. _"I didn't mind him calling me 'Little Lady' at all…' _

Her eyes drifted shut, and quickly Pierce was asleep. But the liger continued to watch her, its baby blue eyes locked on her sleeping face…

x x x x x x

It was well into the next day before Pierce woke up again. Groaning, she rolled over to stare up at the ceiling, slowly focusing in on the unlit light above the bed. With a note of joy in her heart, her sight was not wavering or blurry at all. Slowly she pulled herself up, rejoicing at the simple achievement of being strong enough to sit upright unsupported. The liger purred besides her as she gathered her thoughts.

_'Looks like that nights sleep worked…'_ Suddenly she realised two things. One, she was ravenously hungry, and two; she needed the toilet that instant!

One second and four long strides later she was sat on the seat, a sigh of relief escaping her lips as she emptied her bladder. The thought that Rico's precious drug was being sent down to the sewer system brought a smile to her lips. Once done, she took a quick look at herself in the mirror. Her long teal hair was mussed up and heinously tangled, and her clothes were all rumpled and sweat stained. Sighing, she quickly stripped off the rancid garments before stepping into the shower. She turned the heat well up to assist her in getting rid of all the crud that had built up. Plus it helped her feel that she was washing away Rico's touch.

She stepped out slow afterwards, feeling vastly more human. As she towelled herself dry, she noticed the liger watching her. Surprisingly Pierce felt no shame about being stark naked before the liger. _'Maybe because it's not human…' _

Dropping the towel to the floor, she picked up her dressing gown, one of the few luxury items she had treated herself to. She had always loved the feeling of a warm fuzzy robe around her, and after her time at the Backdraft with their communal showers, she was not about to pass up the chance to enjoy that feeling again!

As she slipped a pair of slippers on, she noticed the liger had moved so that it sat before the door out into the corridor. It looked at her, then at the door, then back to her. A small cry came from its mouth.

"All right, I'm coming…" Pierce said sweetly as she stepped up to open the door. The liger's nose was practically rubbing the end of the door as she opened it, and once the gap was wide enough the liger slipped through and raced off. Pierce shook her head as she followed at a much more sedate pace.

As she turned onto the main stairs, Pierce was struck by how quiet the base was. There was barely any sound coming from the other rooms… then the smell of bacon reached her nose, along with the hiss of a frying pan. Pierce's stomach rumbled loudly as a reminder, like she needed it, of just how hungry she was.

As she stepped past the breakfast bar, Naomi called from within the kitchen. 'So finally up huh?" Her voice was filled with both cheer and relief. "You had us all worried for a time there."

"Sorry." Pierce replied sheepishly as she sat down on one of the stools. She noticed that there didn't appear to be anyone else around, and so she looked at Naomi directly. "Where is everyone?"

"Oh, after you left yesterday, we received notice of our team's next battle." Naomi told her as she turned the bacon over under the grill. "Unfortunately it's today, and the team had to leave early to make the battle site on time."

Pierce frowned. "How long was I out? My memories a little vague…"

"Not surprising considering what he gave you." Naomi said, turning to face the younger woman. "You got back here just before seven, and you've been asleep since then." She glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's getting on for about two."

_'Almost eighteen hours!'_ Pierce's jaw dropped as she realised just how long she had been asleep. _'No wonder I felt so messy when I woke up…' _Her thoughts trailed off as she saw Naomi put her hands to the small of her back and lean back, wincing slightly.

"Naomi, you should not be here alone in your condition!" Pierce quickly stood up and moved round to her. "Surely one of the others should be here too!"

Naomi smiled sadly. "Unfortunately they need everyone for the battle, since we're currently two pilots light."

"What about Sarah?"

"She said she had to go along today as well. Some errand she has to run." With a twinkle in her eyes, Naomi turned back to the food she had been preparing.

Pierce looked at her, an eyebrow raised. _'What on Zi is she thinking?'_ They had all lived together enough that everyone had learned most of the tell-tale signs of the other members of the team, and Pierce could tell that Naomi suspected the reason for Sarah's 'errand'.

Naomi turned back to her, holding a pair of plates on which where strips of bacon, eggs, and toast. "Not the healthiest meal around," She commented as she sat down at the bar. "But it certainly fills a hole." Pierce's stomach rumbled loudly again, causing both women to break into laughter.

"That's better Pierce." Naomi commented after their mirth had subsided. "You haven't been laughing nearly enough lately."

"I know." Pierce sighed as she attacked her food. "I had a lot on my mind."

"Concerning Jamie?" Pierce nodded, her mouth full. "I understand. I had plenty of sleepless nights myself about Brad."

Pierce smiled with her. "Ah, but were you worried that he'd lose that quality that makes him who he is?"

"You mean his aloofness and distance from everything?" Naomi smiled, her eyes flashing. "To a degree, but really he hasn't. Besides, I was willing to risk it." She laid her fork down, locking her gaze with Pierce. "Is that why you've been holding back with Jamie?"

"Yeah…" Pierce said quietly, her head tipping forwards. She still felt uncomfortable talking about the subject. "He's got this innocence about him that I really love, and if we… take things further, I'm worried he'd lose that…" Pierce stopped as she saw that Naomi was chuckling. "What's so funny?"

"Jamie, innocent? I wouldn't say that about him, considering he's been around everything that's been going on recently…" Pierce couldn't help but smile at Naomi's allusion to the passion shared by her and Brad, Bit and Leena, and most clearly Leon and Sarah.

"Personally, I'd say it's more embarrassment rather than innocence. He's still a little shy Pierce. I'm sure you'll have great fun finding out just what's hidden under that…" Pierce blushed brightly at Naomi's bold statement. She couldn't think of a reply to that for the rest of their meal.

As they finished, the liger stalked in, crying up at them, eyes wide open. It was the cry she used when she was really hungry.

"Yes, I'll get you yours." Naomi told the kitten as she stood up. "Pierce, could you deal with the plates, while I feed Angel?"

Pierce looked up in shock. "Since when did the liger get a name?"

"Since last night. She laid next to you all night, like a little guardian angel." Naomi left out the fact that Jamie had spent most of the night outside Pierce's room himself.

"Well, she isn't going to be a 'little' angel for much longer." Pierce commented as the aforementioned Angel wolfed down the meat that Naomi had set out for her. With the plates in the wash, both women sat down on the sofa to watch the ZBC broadcast of the battle featuring their team. Angel soon joined them, lying down between them to have good wash.

The Blitz was up against the Thunder team, a team that had a strong preference for heavy weaponry. They were also one of the larger teams in Class S, able to field ten warriors and twelve zoids. Today's selection had a pair of Gunblusters, four Dibisons, a trio of Command Wolfs fitted with heavy turrets and a Raynos loaded out with a pair of cluster bomb racks.

Things started badly for the Blitz as the Thunders opened up with their heavy artillery. A curtain of explosions descended on the team, bottling them up. The Four Dibisons were firing all their cannons singly, keeping up a constant rain of fire. Two of the wolfs and both Gunblusters had slipped forwards and laid down a ferocious crossfire while the third kept Jamie at arms reach, beyond the range of his lightweight lasers. The Opposing Raynos lumbered forward towards the Blitz, slowed by the heavy bomb racks.

First blood went to the Thunders, battering the Fury and Liger Zero, but first kill went to the Blitz, as Brad slipped to the side and cut down one of the Gunblusters. Leena then unleashed her own artillery fire, backed up by Stroller and his Elephander. The hail of fire tore apart one of the Dibisons and stunned the others, allowing Leon to break through the barrage and go for the flank across from Brad. The rest of the team scattered to evade the bombs dropped by the hostile Raynos on its first pass, but before it could loop round for a second, Jamie slipped in behind it and cut a wing off. Pierce smiled as she watched him work. Neat and precise were the hallmarks of a kill made by Jamie.

The remaining Dibisons correctly decided that Leena was the biggest threat, and their next barrage tore up the ground around her. She tried to evade, but the other pilots seemed to be able to predict her moves and the rain of shells continued. It seemed that the massive Iguanosaur would never go down, but after one volley it finally slumped forwards, slowly rolling onto its side.

The Thunder Team were the first to bring down Leena's new zoid, but they paid the price for their concentration of fire. No longer being shelled, Bit and Vega had raced forwards, their ion engines bright. Leon sliced both the zoids on one flank apart in a single charge, while Brad pounced on the Wolf on his flank. Stroller cut down the third wolf at the rear, while Bit and Vega got in close. The Liger Zero used its laser claws on the one Dibison, while Vega slammed feet first into a second. Pierce noted that Vega seemed to like doing that now. She recalled having seen it first used by Raven during that 'Gauntlet' course. _'Looks like he picked up some tips from his forefather…' _She thought as the last Dibison pilot surrendered.

x x x x x x

It was much later that day when the Blitz returned home, flushed with their victory. Even Leena was happy at the win, though the damage to her zoid annoyed her. Bit promised to help her fix it, which quickly brought a smile back onto her face.

Jamie smiled sadly as he walked up the stairs to the second floor. He had hoped to see Pierce when they got back, but she had not been in the lounge when they came through. Naomi had told them that she had been up, but that she had retired to her room after watching the battle.

He sighed as he stepped into his room, unclipping his jacket as he did so. Deep down he was not sure how to approach her, wondering just how scarred she was by her recent event. To be betrayed by an old friend like that… it turned his stomach just thinking about it.

Try as he might, he couldn't stop thinking about yesterday, when he and Stroller had busted in on Rico. The image of Pierce with her shirt open and pants round her ankles kept on sliding in, and it was he could do to push it aside and concentrate on the matter at hand. Her smooth creamy skin, not quite as pale as Leena's, that rich teal hair, that slim figure with those long legs…

Shaking his head to try and dislodge the thoughts that were whispering in his ear, he shucked off his jacket before tugging at his gloves. He had removed his shoes when he looked up, his eye drawn to just besides the door. Sitting there in the chair that normally was tucked under his desk was the woman he had been daydreaming about. Even in his shock, Jamie noted that she was not wearing the long boots or gloves that she normally wore.

"Pierce!" He sat bolt upright, his eye's widening in shock. "Wh… what are you doing in here?"

"I wanted to see you." She answered, a tremor in her voice. "Alone."

"Huh? Why?" Pierce didn't answer right away, but stood up and walked towards him. She sat down besides him on the foot of the bed.

"Jamie, I… didn't get a chance to thank you for what you and Stroller did for me yesterday." She laid a hand on his thigh as she spoke, doubling Jamie's pulse.

"Uh, you're welcome…"

Pierce smiled gently. "Jamie, I've been thinking. In fact that's how I got into that mess. I needed a little time to think things through." She paused and took a deep breath, and suddenly Jamie could see that she was just as nervous as he was, if not more so.

She looked into his eyes. "Don't you think it's time we stopped dancing round the issue between us?"

"Er…yea, I suppose…" Jamie gulped.

"Do you love me Jamie?"

"Yes…"

"Do you want me?" Pierce asked, her heart in her throat. What if he said no?

"Oh yes…" He breathed, not quite realising what he was saying until he had. His face flushed brilliantly red.

Pierce smiled happily as she suddenly pivoted round to sit on his lap. Jamie had to crane his head upwards to look at her face. She looked down at him, passion in her eyes.

"If you want me to stop, all you have to do is say so…" She whispered as her head dropped to his. Her hands held the side of his head as their lips touched.

For poor young Jamie, it was if he had kissed a live wire. A sudden rush of heat swept through him, and he returned her kiss with interest. His own hands slid round her waist, before taking a solid grip on her hips. Her own had fallen down to his shoulders, while her hair hung down between them. They both luxuriated in the feeling of the others lips on their own, and any thought about the rest of the team faded from their minds.

Reluctantly Pierce had to pull back to breathe. Opening her eyes, she looked down at his sweet young face. Sparks danced in his eyes and his mouth was slightly open. "Wow…" he breathed.

"If you liked that, you're going to love this…" she growled lustfully. Jamie watched in confusion as she pulled back a little more, one hand going to her throat. His eyes quickly widen rapidly however as she slowly unzipped her jacket, running the zipper all the way down. Slowly she moved her hand back to his shoulder, before sliding it up into his hair on the back of his head. Jamie however barely felt this, as he couldn't take his eyes away from the slice of her skin now completely exposed. She wasn't wearing anything under that suit!

"You want me to stop?" she asked huskily, her breath coming in short pants.

Jamie was completely unable to pull his eyesight away from her heaving chest. "No…" he breathed, before he let her gently pull his head towards her heart…

* * *

**DR: **OKay, we'll give their privacy now...

**Jayne: **Why? This is getting good...

**DR: **(glares at Jayne. Jayne backs away, eyes wide. DR turns back to screen) Anyway, next time we meet up with the 'Raiders' again, and Miranda meets the Blitz...(evil grin)

**Shadow: **And don't forget, reviews are always more than welcome!


	13. A New Face

**DR: **Is it time for another update already? Man, where does the time go...

**Apollo: **Well, you have been concentrating on our future...

**DR: **Don't worry Apollo, you'll soon be snuggling up to Sheba

**Apollo: **(flushs) That's not what I meant...

**Sheba: **(glares at Apollo) Oh? What did you mean then?

**DR: **I'm not getting involved here. Enjoy the Chapter people!

* * *

Chapter 13: A New Face 

Derek smiled broadly as he watched the blood red Genosaurer step into his hanger. Cassandra had wished to know how he was doing with Miranda Schubaltz, and had finally managed to wrangle a set of Genosaurer parts out of the sole manufacturer of them. Due to the incredibly high value of such parts, especially the components for the charged particle cannon, she had used her rank to get assigned as the required escort. The fact that such duty allowed her to visit an old friend was a bonus.

Quickly and assuredly she walked her zoid into the space reserved for it, right by his headless Genosaurer. As she rode the command seat down, he was already waiting at the base. As she stepped off the seat plate, she doffed her cap, allowing her smoky grey hair to fall free.

"Hello Cassie, you old rebel."

"Hi Derek." She grinned back, before they both enfolded each other into a hug. Anna Calisto walked over, happy to see her old friend too. Cassie and Anna had been roommates for a time at one of the best zoid academies on Zi. It was through Cassie that she had met Derek.

"How was the trip?"

"Oh, dull. You know the score." Cassie groaned before she embraced Anna warmly. She then stepped back, looking Anna up and down. "Damn it Ann, why are you putting yourself through that again?"

Anna had the presence of mind to blush. "I… well…"

"Admit it. You love children too much." Derek teased her, while Cassie shook her head gently.

"Can't say I understand it myself. But then again we always disagreed on that score." She then turned back to Derek. "I've got you enough parts to completely repair your zoid." She tilted her head towards the containers that had been hauled in by an Imperial Gustav. The crew were already beginning the unloading process. "Plus as many general spares as I could wring out of them. They sure don't like to part with their stock."

"Don't blame them." Derek chuckled while Cassie took a good look around the hanger. Due to the small footprint, the Raiders hanger felt cramped compared to most of the other hangers she had been in. The one wall was studded with windows, looking into the corridors on each floor. The opposite wall held the zoid bays themselves. The architect had managed to get eight bays in there, with just enough room for a zoid to move about between the bays and the living sections. The Raiders had knocked one partition down to create a double width bay at the back end, filled by Michaels Gordos. Jane's Zaber Fang was next in line, the deep crimson looking even darker in the low light.

Then came the team's oldest zoid, Derek's old Command Wolf. It seemed small and frail compared to the other zoids in the team, especially with Derek's current zoid in the next bay along. The Genosaurer towered over the smaller zoid, though the effect was lessened by the zoids lack of a head. So far the team had only been able to rebuild the internal framework, leaving a skeletal form behind.

After Cassie's zoid stood the Team's Blade Liger, the gold gleaming in the light. Cassie had to admit that even stood still, the Liger implied great speed and ferocity.

Last in the line was Jacob's Dibison, seemingly cramped in the small space. The ceiling was much lower than in normal hangers, a product of having to squeeze so much into such a small space.

Cassie came full circle, and looked upon the latest addition to the Raiders, Miranda Schubaltz's Rev Raptor. It was tucked into the corner across from the Gordos, and looked tiny when compared to the other zoids.

"So, while the techs unload your supplies, how about we sit down, have a drink, and talk about a certain troublesome cadet?" She asked, a smile on her face. Derek grinned with her and led the way.

Soon all three were sat comfortably in Derek's office, a mug in their hands. Cassie noted that even here the base felt close in, cramped. The selves were covered in paper and manuals, the desk was barely large enough for his terminal and workspace, and with three of them in there it was a little tight. "So, how's she doing?"

Derek sighed. "She's a difficult one, no question. So far I've mainly kept her doing support tasks, maintaining the base and things like that."

Cassie winced. "That's got to sting her pride a bit."

"That's the point. Right now she still thinks she's the centre of the world, and I intend to shatter that belief." Derek smirked. "That position is already filled by three others, all at the Ancient City…" Both women smiled with him.

"So far I've only put her out in the battlefield twice, but I have to admit, she did better than I expected." He leaned back in his seat, taking a sip of his drink as he did so. "Did you go over what she did to her zoid?"

Cassie shook her head. "No, I wasn't in the mood at the time to see what changes she made."

"Well, the main thing is that she's added an extra layer of armour to her zoid. To save weight, she used a carbon fibre rather than standard sheet metal. Surprisingly strong, when it's supported by the original armour. But shatters far too easily when on its own. Still, stops blasts and shrapnel.

"She replaced the 30mm wrist guns with 50 gigawatt pulse lasers, and has installed a small laser generator in the zoids back linked to her scythe blades. Not strong enough to stand up to a Blade Ligers laser blades, but a definite improvement over a simple blade. She also managed to boost the power output and increase response time by twenty percent." Cassie nodded, realising just how much Cadet Schubaltz had improved the combat abilities of the Rev Raptor.

"So far she's made relatively little impact on the battlefield, her lack of experience really telling. It hasn't helped that she has a total disregard for our team's tactics." His face creased into a smile. "In fact, the last set of people who disregarded tactics as much was the Blitz."

"Their combat style is definitely… chaotic." Cassie smirked as she recalled the Siege. While it was true that the Blitz were at times random, their moves unpredictable, there was no doubt about their effectiveness.

"Tell me about it." Derek winced. "Nicholas nearly has a fit every time we fight them. They just don't follow any pattern that he can understand."

"I wonder how Miranda would fare against them." Cassie mused.

"We'll find out soon. We're due to fight them day after tomorrow." Anna put in, a sigh escaping her lips.

"Yea, I've been meaning to talk to you about that Anna." Derek said apologetically. He turned his chair to face her, resting his mug on a clear patch of table. "I want you to pull out of battling."

"What?" Anna asked, her eyebrows rising.

"A Blade Ligers an assault zoid, and right now… you're not in any condition to pilot it safely."

"I'm only just three months gone!" Anna cut back, though she brought a hand to her belly out of instinct.

"Darling, you know as well as I do the stresses a Blade Liger places on its pilot. And I don't wish to lose our next child."

Anna dropped her head in submission. "Okay, I won't fight. But you do know we'll lose our main advantage without the Blade Liger…"

"I'll pilot it." Derek answered. "We'll never get the Geno ready in time to fight the Blitz anyway."

"Mind if I tag along?" Cassie asked quietly, hoping to break up the sad moment. "I've got a few days leave due, and I really ought to see just how she performs in a real combat situation."

Derek grinned in response. "Sure, why not?"

"It'll be nice to see that little trouble maker squirm…" Anna chuckled.

x x x x x x

Sarah was just finalising the ordering of some more ammo for the team when Pierce made her way down. After the team had got back last night Jamie and Pierce had not been seen for the rest of the evening. Naomi had a smirk on her face that told Sarah that she knew what was going on. It had been later on, when most of the others had headed up to bed themselves that the two women could talk.

"So Na', where was Pierce really?"

"Oh, I think she was planning to give Jamie a combined 'Welcome home' and 'Thank You' gift." Naomi had chuckled. Sarah could easily envisage the way things could have gone, and had smiled with her. Naomi had glanced towards their husbands, sitting in the central lounge, before leaning towards her. "So, how was your 'errand'?" she asked conspiratorially.

Sarah had felt the blush rise quickly. "Positive."

"Congratulations!" Naomi had hugged Sarah for a moment. "Does Leon know?"

"Yes. I told him when I got back. No-one else yet." Sarah had sighed deeply.

"You still worried about how Vega's going to react?" Sarah had only nodded. "Don't worry, he'll be thrilled." Naomi had reassured her.

Now Sarah looked at her 'younger sister' as she stepped down the stairs. Pierce had a glow about her that had been there just after that terrible siege, but had disappeared for a while. But now it was back brighter than ever.

"So I take it he liked his 'Thank You' present?" she asked gently. As Pierce blushed, Sarah noted that her flight suit was rumpled and not done up fully, exposing a large swath of skin around the base of her neck.

"Very much…" Pierce sighed as she sat down besides her, leaning back and allowing her hair to hang over the back. She stretched her legs out and sighed deeply again.

Sarah chuckled. "Looks like you enjoyed yourself too." Pierce could only smile in reply. While she had had high hopes, they had been matched by dark fears. But fortunate must still smile on the Blitz, since her time with Jamie had not only avoided those fears, but had surpassed her hopes. At first slow and tentative, their mutual passion and desire had risen. She had let him set the pace, despite her desire to hurry things along.

He had run his hands all over her body, exploring new territory, while she had taken the time to learn the full extent of his form. They had rolled together so much that her hair had become entwined around them both. When release had come, it had been a stunning experience.

"So I take it he's good in bed, huh?"

Pierce's eyes snapped open as she looked at Sarah, a blush rising on her face. "Sarah!" She exclaimed, shocked at Sarah's question. She had changed so much since before the Royal Cup… it was if she was a completely different person.

"Oh don't worry Pierce," Sarah grinned. "I'm not about to steal him away from you. I've already got my dream man." Her eyes wandered to the hall where Leon had just stepped out from the on base gym. His t-shirt was patched with sweat and his hair was messed up. But Sarah loved him just as much as ever.

Leon smiled back as Sarah looked at him. He had heard Pierce's voice and had stepped out to speak to her. He could see how relaxed she looked, and how she radiated happiness just like Sarah had after their first night of passion. He was about to speak when he heard the tones of the computer alerting them that someone was calling them.

"I'll get it." He told both women as he turned about to step into the central computer room. Sitting down before the main terminal, he wondered who would be calling. When the youthful face came up on screen, he smiled. "Derek! Nice to see you!"

On the screen Derek Calisto smiled too. "Hello Leon, nice to see you too. Things going okay round there?"

"Oh, we've had a little trouble with Pierce, but I think that's behind us now." Leon sighed. "You'll probably hear about the end result on the news soon. So how things at your end?"

"Oh, not too bad. Zoid's still totalled, but I got the parts needed to fix that today."

"Sorry to hear that. Hope you get it up and going soon. Just not before our next battle with you." Leon laughed, along with Derek.

"I actually called about that, our next battle." Derek leaned forward a little. "Day after tomorrow, we fight once more."

"Great! I'll look forward to matching blades with you!"

"Yea…" Derek hesitated, before pushing on. "Listen, I've recently added another member to my team on a temporary basis. To cut a long story short, she's a cadet for the Imperial Army of Guylos who needs to learn how to respect authority. Cassie, Captain Cortez, asked me to drum that into her."

"And you've been putting her into Class S battles?"

"Correct. All part of her learning process. But I want you guy's to go easy on her. After all, she's only a cadet. I want her knocked out with apparent ease, but not _too _badly."

Leon nodded as he understood Derek's request. "You want to teach her that she's not the greatest ever, but not be so harsh as to totally demoralise her."

"Got it in one. Always figured you to be the smartest member of the Blitz."

Leon grinned at Derek's compliment. "Thanks. So, what zoid does she pilot?"

"A custom Rev Raptor. But I have to tell you she's really tooled it up. Not overtly, like say Harry Champ would, but in a subtle way. Like Cassie upgraded her Genosaurer."

Leon smirked. "Well, it should be an interesting battle."

x x x x x x

On the day of the battle, the Blitz were all set. They had finally settled on sending Brad, Leon, Bit, Leena and Vega out to do battle. Leon had passed on Derek's message to all of them, and reminded them all to be gentle with the Rev Raptor. It may be a Class S battle and the zoid was supported by one of the best teams, but the pilot was still a rookie.

As was becoming standard with this sort of line up, Leena was in the centre of the formation, with Vega and Bit each side. Leon and Brad both favoured the edges, where their slightly faster and smaller zoids could get round the flanks of the other team. Quite a few teams had become so focused on the huge amount of power that came barrelling towards them in the form of Bit, Vega and Leena, that they failed to notice Leon and Brad until it was too late. Course that trick had never worked on the Raiders.

As he watched the Raiders line up on the far side of the battlefield, Bit ran his eye across their zoids. The zoids they had seen the first time they had fought the Raiders were still here, arrayed like before. But the little red Rev Raptor was off to one side, slightly ahead of the rest of the team. Compared to the hulking Gordos, the small zoid seemed even smaller.

"So Blitz," Derek called from the Raiders Blade Liger. "Ready to dance one more time?"

"You bet we are!" Bit cried, the Liger roaring out in support. The Fury and Iguanosaur both echoed the Ligers words. "So, you back in the rear seat?"

"No, I'm standing in for my wife. I think you can guess why." Brad, Naomi and Leon nodded, remembering Anna Calisto's state. Naomi felt a twitch from her belly in sympathy.

"Is that… who I think it is?" A panic filled voice came over the general frequency from the Rev Raptor, the small zoid taking a nervous step back.

"Blitz Team, meet Cadet Miranda Schubaltz, my latest headache." Bit looked over the image displayed before him. The young women piloting the Raptor looked about Vega's age, with short locks of dirty blond hair and piercing blue eyes, almost a baby blue. Her skin was quite pale, and was made paler by her obvious fright.

Cassie, sitting in the Raiders Transport Hammerhead alongside Anna, noticed this and was surprised. _'She's frightened by the Blitz? Is it the fact that she's facing down three legendary zoids, or that's she knows that here its live rounds that are fired?' _Derek had purposefully not mentioned whom they would be fighting to her, and so Miranda had gotten the full shock of realising who they were up against without any warning.

"Well, I don't know about your Fury Vega, but my Shadow Fox eats Rev Raptors for breakfast." Brad drawled, causing chuckles to rise from both teams. It had been agree beforehand between Leon and Derek that a sideline to the battle would be to teach Miranda the meaning of fear. The usual friendly pre-match banter of Class S was to be used to scare, infuriate and taunt the rookie.

The Fury roared something, and Vega grinned widely. "He said 'Nah, Rev Raptors have no meat to them. Command Wolfs are a much more fitting meal. But Rev Raptors make nice snacks'." Laughter filled the airwaves.

"Well, if she doesn't want to be squished like the bug she is, that raptor had better stay out of my way." Leena added, a dry chuckle in her voice.

"Ah come on, stop picking on the newbie. She's in way over her head." Bit countered. Before anyone else could add anything else, the Judge arrived.

**"Area scanned, battlefield set up! The Blitz Team Vs the Raiders Team, battle mode 0892. Ready… FIGHT!"**

**

* * *

Shadow: **Ah, the cocky brat is scarced...

**Teal'c: **Indeed.

**Starbuck: **May have something to do with that huge beast ahead of her...

**DR: **We'll find out soon. Next time Miranda faces the Blitz in battle...

**Shadow: **Let's get ready to rumble!

**

* * *

**


	14. Contrast & News

**DR: **Since it's Easter, I decided to give you all a present of the next chapter!

**Zeke: **What about all of us?

**DR: **(smiles) Simple. I hid 100 Easter eggs throughout the grounds. Let the hunt begin!

(sudden commontion as 30 people rush to get out of room first. Teal'c raises eyebrow when Zeke and Shadow barrel right throught the pack, then follows sedately)

**DR: **That'll keep them entertained for a while. Romie, mind keeping an eye on them?

**Romie:** Are you trying to reduce me, A High Guard ship of the line, to a baby-sitter!

**DR: **Oh come on, you like them all really...

**Romie: **(sighs) All right... (walks out)

**DR: **And now, we see just how Miranda fares against the Liger Zero, the Fury, and of course the Iguanosaur (fresh images with man and VW Golf for scale):

http/ Against that kind of hardware, anyone would be scared!

* * *

Chapter 14: Contrast & News 

For a second Miranda could only watch in fright as the three most powerful zoids on Zi broke into a charge. The Liger Zero with its frighteningly large number of laser blades pushed forwards fast, while the Fury matched Bit's pace, the rows of teeth gleaming. Just behind them both the monstrous Iguanosaur rose up onto its hind legs and raced forwards, seemingly even larger than before. Miranda could almost feel the ground trembling at its footfalls!

Nicholas Calisto, Derek's son, started snapping out orders, breaking the paralysis that had gripped Miranda. "Ok Dad, we've got the Liger Zero and the Blade Liger coming at us! Michael, get Leena's attention! Jane, can you hold off Vega for the moment?"

"And how do you expect me to do that?"

"Run rings around him?"

"That's not helpful Jacob!"

"Jacob, see if you can slow down either liger!" Nicholas butted in. "Miranda, see if you can get behind the Blitz team. Don't stop to fight, just get round behind them! Everyone watch out. They deployed the Shadow Fox, but I'm having trouble finding it!"

"Oh great…" Jane groaned.

Miranda tuned out the voices of her teammates as she pushed the Rev Raptor forwards. She knew her only chance was to keep moving and make herself the smallest target possible. As she piled on the speed, she watched her displays. Derek was trying to avoid going head to head with both the Blade Liger and Liger Zero, but their combined moves were bottling him up. Jane was having equal trouble with the Fury, whose hover jets allowed Vega to make incredibly tight turns. Jacob had started to lay down fire to cover Derek, but Leena had responded with a barrage of her own, and the Raiders Dibison was unsteady on its feet as a result.

She looked up again on instinct, to see the Shadow Fox almost on top of her, the zoid seeming to grin at her. Gulping in shock, she threw her zoid to the right, barely evading the Foxes claws. After they had passed each other, she cursed herself. _'Had I deployed my scythe blades, I could have taken him out!'_ She looked again at her displays, only to notice something new. _'The Fox is not showing up on my sensors! Shit!' _

Twisting and turning, Miranda raced forwards, while around her the Blitz demonstrated how they lived up to their name. Jane was trying to stay ahead of the Fury, but those jaws kept on getting closer. Derek was locked in a dance of death with Leon and Bit, while Michael reeled as Leena poured fire into him.

A rising whistle heralded the arrival of a barrage from Jacob, but Leena had already moved aside, bringing her massive zoid almost on top of Miranda. She looked up at the towering behemoth, her eye bugging out at the shear size of the zoid. It could squash her zoid like a bug! The laser turret above the shoulder spun round and snapped of a string of energy darts. Almost a dozen burned neat holes through her armour, strung out in a line across her zoid. Miranda powered forwards, but then had to jink left to evade the larger zoids leg that suddenly kicked out.

A sudden explosion behind her signalled the fading of the Dibisons signal. She glanced over her shoulder to see the Dibison slumped down, the head practically cut off. Off to the side, the Shadow Fox stood, black against the skyline as it howled in victory.

Looking about in worry, Miranda saw that the Fury was snapping at the heels of Jane's Zaber Fang, while the Gordos was limping. Derek was blade to blade with the Blitz's Blade Liger, and the Liger Zero was closing fast on him. So far her little Rev Raptor was ignored, and that stung worse than being a target.

_'Do they think I'm not worth their time?' _Then realisation struck home, painfully. _'They're right. I'm nothing more than a cadet, and these are experienced warriors. How could I be so stupid as to think I could best one of them here?' _

When she looked about her, Miranda realised that she had gotten behind the Blitz, just as Nicholas had instructed. "Nicholas, I'm behind the Blitz, now what?"

"Distract them!" His voice could barely be heard over the sounds of battle. "Anything! Just get them focused on you!"

Miranda took a deep breath before kicking her zoid forwards, towards the massive Iguanosaur. _'Get their attention huh?' _

With a snarl, the Rev Raptor leapt upwards to grasp onto the larger zoids thigh. Miranda clung onto the larger zoid as it suddenly bucked. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the laser turret spin round. _'Got to get out of the fire arc!'_

With a speed born of desperation, the Rev Raptor began to climb up the heavier zoids leg, scrambling up to get behind the larger zoids body. Miranda didn't care about hurting the Iguanosaur. Her only concern was getting out of the line of fire!

The turret fired just as she pulled herself up; the bolts stabbing past seemingly close enough to burn the armour off. Miranda took a second to pull herself together as she squatted her zoid behind the Iguanosaur's main weapon. From her elevated position, she could see the Fury had caught Jane, her zoid trapped in the monsters jaws. Derek's Blade Liger lay besides the Blitz's one, both zoids side blades deployed. It appeared that they had taken each other out. Bit and the Liger Zero were closing in on Michael's Gordos, and she could see the Shadow Fox loping towards them.

Suddenly Leena's main guns spun round, catching her off guard. The Rev Raptor was inside the arc of the barrels, but that was the point. The smaller zoid was knocked clean off the Iguanosaur by the ringing impact, even as Leena primed her main weapon. Miranda was too stunned to watch as the larger zoid straightened out before firing its hybrid cannon. The bolt slammed into the Gordos and punched in deep. The heavy zoid was pushed to the side by the hit, before falling flat onto its belly.

Slowly Miranda pulled her zoid upright, but then an orange and white shape jumped over Leena's zoid to land just before her. The Liger Zero pushed forwards, and Miranda caught a glimpse of the laser blades of the Schneider armour all deployed.

Then the Liger was past, and the Rev Raptor continued to stand. _'I don't believe it! He missed!' _But when she tried the controls, nothing happened. Then she felt it, the head moving forwards and down slightly. It slid for a few seconds, before tipping forwards. The snout was buried in the sand during the impact. Miranda looked at her displays, but they were all dead. Sighing, she pushed the canopy open. Once she had wiggled free, she looked back towards her zoid.

What she saw took her breath away. Her Rev Raptor had been decapitated! The Liger Zero's laser blade had sliced right through her zoids neck with ease, leaving a perfect cut. _'One pass. It took him only one pass to take me down…' _

x x x x x x

Derek sighed as he looked across at Miranda, sitting slightly apart from the two teams, later on. "Well, she was the last to go down…"

"That was simply because she was the last one targeted." Cassie pointed out.

"Maybe so, but she had a chance to take me out during the battle." Brad commented over his mug. Naomi was snuggled under his free arm. "If when she had passed me she had deployed her blades, I doubt my zoid would have remained operational."

"And if that had happened, then I'd I've been free to continue firing…" Jacob began, his face pensive.

"We could spend forever batting around the "What if…" question." Jamie stated firmly. The fact he was sitting with his arm round Pierce, and hers round him, was not lost on the Raiders. "The real question is, did today's battle teach her the lesson she needed Derek?"

Derek leaned back, a frown on his face. "Not sure at the moment. Certainly she showed initiative, climbing up onto your back Leena, despite not taking your zoids abilities into account. And at the start she showed fear, something that we have not seen before."

"I noticed that too. Odd, considering her reaction to a Cerberus was to ask if it was a joke." Cassie mused. The gathered pilots sat up straighter.

"She thought the Cerberus was a joke?" Vega gasped, his eyes round.

Cassie nodded. "Yea, she commented that it lacked any logical layout, since the weapons were exposed and the outline was made of simple blocks. And that the balancing act would be impossible." She shrugged. "Guess you have to see one in action to fully understand."

"What was her reaction to your zoid?" Stroller asked, his voice containing a note of curiosity. Cassie looked at him for a moment before replying.

"Well, she was made of sterner stuff than the other cadets that took the same exercise. One fainted dead away at sight of me." Chuckles rose at Cassie's comment. "It was when she first saw the Cerberus that things went downhill."

While the others continued to talk and discuss the battle, Vega slipped away and walked over to Miranda. Now that they were face to face, Vega had to admit that she was an attractive young woman. Her blond hair, while not as pure as Bits, was an interesting shade, and her face held hints of future elegance.

She looked up at him as he approached, her eyes roving across him. At last they met his dark orbs. "Vega Obscura, what brings you over here?" She asked quietly but firmly. It was clear from her tone that she fully expected him to rub her nose in her defeat.

Vega was taken aback for a second by her hostility, but his warm nature quickly returned. "Actually, I was wondering if you would care to explain why you thought the Cerberus was a joke." He asked as he slid into the seat across from her.

As he did so she looked him over again, more slowly this time. She took in his almost jet-black hair and dark eyes, which made him look like a Goth when compared to his pale skin. The effect was softened though by his choice of clothing, a rather odd looking tan jacket with a dark blue body suit underneath. Also his face was filled with honesty and compassion, and Miranda felt herself responding to that, despite her naturally confrontational nature. His eyes were wide, making them even larger in his head than normal, and in them she could see only a desire to know what she thought.

With a sigh she gave in. "It just doesn't make any sense. The whole thing is stacked together like some simple child's toy. There was clearly no thought to deflecting hostile fire, or speed. The weapons look tacked on, like an after thought."

"Zoid weapons are external…"

"Yea, but at least in zoids the weapons try to fit in with the rest of the zoid, most of the time. Those ones didn't. It was like they were using the bare minimum in building that thing. And the name 'Cerberus' is totally wrong."

"Why?"

"Cerberus was a three headed dog that guarded hell in one Ancient Earth mythology. But that zoid had no cockpit, and a single eye, like a Cyclops. That would have been a more appropriate name." Miranda shrugged. "Anyway, the thing would never have been able to move. It would have fallen over on the first patch of rough ground."

Vega shook his head gently. "You don't know the truth do you?"

"The truth?" Miranda asked, her voice curious and condensing in equal measure.

"Those things are very well named, because they are hell to fight…"

As Vega launched into telling Miranda the real nature of the Cerberus, Sarah watched quietly from the main table. She was still wondering just how to tell him that she was carrying Leon's child, but seeing him with Miranda brought a smile to her lips. Maybe it was time for him to also find someone to love and cherish. He had pushed her to find her perfect partner… maybe it was time for him to do the same.

x x x x x x

Later that evening the Blitz returned home, most of them dead on their feet. The zoids were moved back into the hanger, the team deciding to put off any repair work till the next day. Although only Leon had gone down during the fight with the Raiders, all the zoids had taken damage to varying degrees. This was typical of their recent battles; one or two of them would be taken out, but everyone would receive serious damage.

One by one the team made their way to their rooms, Brad and Naomi last so that she could take her time. Now just over eight months pregnant, getting up and down the stairs was difficult at best.

Sarah however stood back from entering her room along with Leon. "You go ahead love." She whispered to him, laying a gentle kiss on his lips. "There's something I need to do first…"

"Need any help?" He asked.

"Not for this. I have to do it alone…"

"Well, you know I'll always be here for you…" Leon told her, wrapping her in his arms as he did so. Sarah was reluctant to part from him, but as Vega passed them both she knew she had too.

"Thanks Leon." With a smile she stepped after her son. "Vega?"

For a second Vega didn't respond, but then he turned to face her. "Mom? What is it?"

"Can we talk for a moment? It's important…"

Together the pair of them stepped through into the garden, listening to the sounds of everyone else head to bed. They sat down on the pools edge side by side, facing each other.

"Vega, son… "Sarah paused, unsure how to continue.

"What is it mom?" He asked, concern flitting across his face.

"Well… it's me and Leon." Sarah began. Vega's eye widened.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothings wrong. Well, not yet…" Sarah took a deep breath. "It's just that we… want to, well…" At Vega's motion to continue, she managed to say what she had to say. "We want to start, raise a family. Have children of our own." She clarified, biting her lip as she braced for Vega's reaction.

For a long moment Vega was too stunned to think. He didn't know what to think! Only one thing ran through his mind at that point. _'My mother wants to have another child…'_

"Vega?" Sarah asked out of concern. His silence was dragging on.

Slowly Vega began to get his brain back into gear. His mother wished to have Leon's children, and was asking his permission. But she didn't need his permission! It was her life; she should do as she wished!

But still… he _was _her son. If she had a second child, he would no longer be her only child. Could he cope with that? Being her first born son, half-brother to any other children she had with Leon, the man she loved? The man he had pushed her towards from the moment they had met? He could understand her concerns about what he would think…

Slowly he brought his head back up to look at her face. Written plain across it was her concerns and worries. No longer could she hide her feelings and thoughts behind a cool, calm facade. Even when they had been in the Backdraft he had always been able to tell what she had been thinking, when everyone else was clueless. Now it was as clear as day that she really thought that he was the one to decide whether or not she could have children again.

Vega's heart melted at the look on her face. "Mom, you have as many as you want…" He told her. "I'm old enough now to cope with it."

With tears streaming down her face, Sarah pulled him into a hug. "Thank you Vega. You know you'll always have a place in my heart." The relief in her voice was almost palatable.

"I know mom," he answered, hugging her in return. As the hug continued, he could hear her trying to hold back tears of joy, and he smiled. But then he frowned. Something was different… He pulled back to look her in the eye. "You already are, aren't you?"

Sarah's head dropped. "Yes. I'm sorry for not telling you earlier, but I wasn't sure how you'd…"

"Mom…" he cut her off, lifting her chin with one hand. "I understand completely. I knew that this might happen when I told you to find happiness for yourself, especially when you married Leon. You just took me a bit by surprise that's all." He smiled again. "How long?"

"Just under a month."

"So we'll have time to adjust and adapt with Naomi's kid before yours arrives…" He joked. The pair of them embraced again, rejoicing in their mutual love of each other. Sarah knew that Vega would always love her, regardless of how many other child she had. And Vega knew that she would always love him the most of all her children, not because he was her first, but because he had helped her through one of the most difficult times in her life and had given her the confidence to grasp her chance for happiness.

"Vega, you're the greatest son any mother could have wished for…"

* * *

**DR: **And on that sweet note, we say goodbye to the world of Zi for another week.

**Kaylee: **(walks in holding a basket aloft) No power in the verse can stop me! (Mal follows her in)

**DR: **I take it she won?

**Mal: **Shefound 12! Gorram it girl!


	15. Arrivals of Good & Bad

**DR: **We now return to our regular update time-table, after last weeks bonus...

**Shadow: **Cut it DR, and just tell us what's happening.

**DR: **Well the main event is one that'll make everyone cringe, but in a good way, while the side plot might spark nightmares.

**Zeke: **Sounds nasty.

* * *

Chapter 15: Arrivals of Good & Bad 

Naomi groaned as she sat down on the couch. "I'll be so glad when she comes…"

Brad and Sarah both smiled at her remark. Sarah could remember clearly those last few days before Vega was born, how even the most simple task became such a strain. Naomi was due any day now.

"So, who we up against next?" Stroller asked lazily, his hands linked behind his head. Since Jamie and Pierce's resolution, he'd been able to take it easy.

"Another old foe, the Sun Ray team." Jamie told them, gesturing to the main screen. Displayed on it was the last line up of the Sun Ray's, back when the Blitz were still newcomers to Class S. The two Heldigunners sported compact, short-ranged but powerful weaponry, ideal for tunnelling zoids who could get such weapons into range. The aerial armada was based around a massive Salamander, 'A Pteras on steroids'. Two regular Pteras with missiles racks, a pair of Storm Sworders and a high speed Raynos completed the set.

"Do you think they'll change their line up?" Brad asked, his eyes half closed.

Jamie shook his head. "I don't think so, but they might. As far as I can gather, they also have a couple of Redlers and a third Pteras bomber in their force."

"At least this time we'll be able to engage them in an equal fight." Steve muttered.

"Well, not quite Doc. They are one of the few teams that specialised in aerial warfare, and frankly most of our zoids aren't so good at targeting aircraft." Jamie explained. "We know they have an ECM from our last battle, which means the Panzer armour is useless unless we can get it loaded with missiles that are immune to it."

"Unlikely, since there'd be so many missiles needed…" Sarah sighed. The Panzer armour was her second biggest headache, after Leena's zoid. Both were ammo intensive, more so than any other zoid. Luckily the Panzer armour was rarely used, and Leena over the last couple of months had started conserving ammo to a degree.

Layon had also come through with the blueprints for all three Ultimate X zoids, and the team had made an arrangement with him. In exchange for ordering all their spares for those three zoids from him, he'd only charge them the manufacturing costs. Already the word had gotten out that Layon was supplying parts for the Blitz, and he was able to pick and choose the work he took up. The days of jury-rigging Shield Liger parts to fit the Liger Zero were over.

"Well, I'd suggest this line up for us…" Jamie tapped the console and the image of the Sun Ray's vanished, replaced by a selection of the Blitz teams' zoids. Naomi shifted in her seat as she felt her stomach twist while she looked over the line up Jamie had suggested. While she had not been an active pilot for the last three months, she had kept an interest in the running of the Blitz, always ready to make a suggestion or comment.

Jamie's line-up however looked pretty solid. Both the Raynos and Storm Sworder were there, almost a default choice considering the other team. Brads Shadow Fox, Stroller's Elephander, The Fury, Liger Zero and Leon's Blade Liger were ranked up with the flyers.

Leena frowned. "Jamie, why am I not out there? We're one zoid light…"

Jamie sighed. "I know Leena, but your zoid is possibly the worst at engaging aircraft. The only weapons that would work are the lasers, since the Vulcans would need precise aiming, and none of the other weapons could be brought to bear."

"What about the missiles?" Leon asked. Naomi felt her stomach cramp again, and she began to feel distinctly uncomfortable…

"The Salamander's ECM would short them out." Jamie answered him. "We really need to use lasers or other energy weapons to fight these guys…" Jamie trailed off as he caught sight of Naomi shifting in her seat again, wincing as she did so. "You all right Na'?"

She waved him off. "I'm fine. Must just be a little indigestion or something…" She saw how the others were looking at her, particularly Sarah… "What? You think…"

Sarah quickly stepped across, before laying a hand on Naomi's belly. After a minute, she looked up at her and Brad.

"I think you'd best get down to the hanger Na'. That isn't indigestion. Those are contractions."

x x x x x x

Naomi gasped as another contraction struck her, rippling through her. "How long does this go on for?"

"As long as it takes…" Sarah told her, shaking her head gently.

"Oh great…" After Sarah's surprising statement, the whole team had escorted her to Romeo City Hospital. Once there, the doctors had sent her to the maternity ward, declaring her in labour. Now, eleven hours later, she was still there, in the delivery room. Awaiting her child's birth.

She moaned again as again a contraction shot through her, and she gripped Sarah's hand tightly. While the rest of the Blitz waited outside, Sarah was with her to provide moral support. Having gone through this once before, she could understand and sympathise with Naomi. Brad had looked torn between his desire to be there for her, and his uneasiness at the situation. Luckily Sarah had stepped in for him.

In a way, Naomi was glad it was Sarah who now sat with her rather than Brad. Even just after the two of them had met for the first time, there had been a connection between them. Although Sarah was the most distant from her in terms of age, the two of them shared a similar outlook on life. While Leena and Pierce tended to be more bubbly and active, both Sarah and Naomi were laid back about things. Course, it helped that Sarah had been the one to help her with the discovery of her condition.

Another contraction, the strongest yet, rippled through her, sending chills up her spine. But it wasn't only the spasms that worried her. Soon she would meet her daughter for the first time, and from now on she would be responsible for her. Naomi had been able to put such thoughts out of her mind while her child resided in her. But now…

She looked up again at Sarah as she gently used a cloth to mop up the sweat on Naomi's brow. Something in her eyes must have revealed her fears, since Sarah smiled. "Don't worry. You're going to be a wonderful mother…"

x x x x x x

Stroller sat trying to concentrate on the paper he held, but he found it hard. Brad was pacing up and down the small waiting room so much he was going to wear a hole in the floor. To add to that Jamie and Pierce were talking aerial combat tactics, while Bit and Leena were snuggling together. He looked across at Leon, sat besides his father. While Steve Toros was sitting there remising about the times when he had sat there waiting for his children's births, unaware that no one was listening, Leon was sitting calmly. In fact it looked like he was dozing, except that his eyes were open and he glanced towards the door every now and again.

As Brad began another lap, Stroller snapped. "Could you stop your pacing, you're distracting me!"

"Well sorry, but I'm a little on edge here!" Brad snapped back, glaring daggers at the older man. Brad and Stroller had never fully got along. While they both respected the others skill and courage, they were similar enough that living under the same roof caused friction between them. It had almost become competitive as to who got to read the paper first.

"All right both of you calm down!" Leena called across. "Don't make me get up and separate you two!" Bit smiled at his wife's choice of words. Since she was snuggled into his arms, if she had to get up she would be annoyed. And an annoyed Leena was not a pretty sight.

Clearly both men got the message, as Brad turned away to resume his pacing, and Stroller returned his eyes to the paper before, scowling. In the short time he and the other ex-Backdraft members had been on the team, they had all learned that an angered Leena was not something they wished to meet. Eve help you if she was angry at you… Brad had had that misfortunate once, before Bit had joined the team. It was enough for him.

Across the room Leon smiled slightly. While the press suggested that everything within the Blitz was perfect, the truth was rather less. Pierce's recent troubles, the friction between Brad and Stroller, his father's antics… they were all signs that the people who made up the Blitz were just that, people. Nobody was perfect, and Leon would always be suspicious of those who appeared to be so.

His thought's turned inward again, as he considered Sarah and Naomi. After he had joined Naomi's team, he had come to regard her as a second sister. Certainly there were a striking number of similarities between her and Leena. Both women had red hair, and their eyes were violet, though Naomi's hair was darker, and her eyes were bluer than Leena's. But the differences in their features also extended to, and to an extent matched, their personalities. Naomi was generally more laid back, but she too had one fierce temper. The main difference between her and Leena was that hers was more focused and under control.

Leon felt for Naomi at that moment, since she had been forced out of battling due to her child, and now she was probably going through hell. He was glad that Sarah was with her. Having gone through the same ordeal once before, she could help Naomi prepare for and cope with the pain.

x x x x x x

Several hours later, Steve looked about the room, a faint smile on his face. They had got here almost fifteen hours ago, and most of the Blitz had fallen asleep. Bit and Leena were curled up together on one of the softer couches, her legs pulled up as she half sat on him. Pierce was stretched out across several chairs, her head resting in Jamie's lap. Jamie himself had at first stroked her hair for a while, but then sleep had overtaken him too. Stroller and Vega had nodded off, and even Brad was asleep, his head tipped back. Steve looked to his left at Leon, and saw the spark in his eyes.

"Best thing for them." Leon commented quietly.

Steve nodded. "These things take time. Particularly the first." He frowned as a sudden thought came to him. "Wait, what about our battle with the Sun Ray's?"

"We're okay dad. We've still got over twelve hours before we have to leave for the battle site."

Steve sighed as he sat back, marvelling at how calm his son was acting. True it was not his wife in there, struggling to bring forth a new life, but even so… _'Sandra was always so calm too, even when she was in labour with him. And that was a long labour…' _

The sounds of the door opening made both of them look up. Sarah eased the door open enough that she was able to slip through, and then closed it quietly. Steve noted that she looked as tired as any of the others.

"So?" Leon asked quietly when she was close enough.

"Naomi gave birth twenty minutes ago." She replied as she sank into his arms. Sitting across his lap, she leaned against him, her eyelids drooping. "I decided to give her a few minutes to get her strength back before bringing Brad through." She looked over the rest of the team. "How long where we in there?"

"Almost fifteen hours."

Sarah's eyes widened slightly. "That long? Only felt like a couple. No wonder I'm so tired…" She yawned languidly.

Steve sat up. "You rest there, Sarah. I'll tell him."

"Thanks." She replied in gratitude, since now she had sat down in Leon's arms Sarah did not feel like she could get up again.

x x x x x x

Naomi looked down at her sleeping child in wonder. When she had finally arrived, the release had been amazing. Her wails as she took her first breaths of air had been almost stunning. Now she lay asleep in Naomi's arms, eyes closed and breathing regular. Already the wrinkled skin had smoothed out, and her colour had faded to a more natural pink hue. Naomi could already tell that she was going to be quite the lady, with pale skin and a few chestnut red hairs on her head. _'That gene is one persistent little bugger…' _

She looked up tiredly as the door to her room opened again. Her face spilt into a warm smile as she saw Brad standing there, rubbing sleep from his eyes. Despite her ordeal, Naomi was able to summon the strength to form words. "Well Brad, don't just stand there, come say hello to your daughter…"

Brad stepped across the room with stiff legs. When he had managed to focus on Naomi he had felt his jaw drop a bit. She was sat up in the bed, her slim figure returned. Her dark red hair hanging down over her shoulders appeared slick with sweat and her face showed how tired she was. Underneath the thin hospital gown she wore her skin was flushed.

But what really drew his attention was the small bundle she held in her arms. Stepping softly so as not to wake her, he sat down beside Naomi to gaze upon the face of their child. Like all newly born, her face was well fleshed, but underneath Brad could pick on hints of a fine bone structure. The thin hairs of her head were already dry and were starting to lift away from her scalp. One hand poked up from underneath the cloth wrapped around her, the stubby fingers curled round together.

Naomi watched as Brad looked at their child, and she beamed as his wonder and amazement showed clear. "She's wonderful…" he whispered, before turning his eyes to her. "Just like her mother…"

"Brad…" He cut her off with a kiss, one hand snaking round the back of her head to pull her to him. The two of them rejoiced at the new life they had created together.

Naomi felt their child shift in her arms, and she reluctantly broke off the kiss to look down at her. Their baby had opened her eyes, and now looked up at them with rich blue eyes.

"Why hello there…" She cooed, gently lifting her a little higher up. Their child clearly got the meaning Naomi had layered the words with, since she smiled and her eyes seemed to dance between her and Brad.

"Yes, he's your father…" Naomi whispered, before glancing at the man in question. "Say hello Brad."

Brad smiled himself, before gently bringing his hand up to their daughter. "Hi little one…"

Almost instinctively, their child's mouth opened a little, and she grasped Brad's little finger in her own hand. Brad found himself looking into those large liquid eyes, almost lost in those rich blue depths.

"She's got your eyes…" Naomi teased him.

"But your hair I see…" Since she still held onto his finger, Brad slipped his other hand down from Naomi's head to cradle their daughters. As she made happy baby sounds, he looked at Naomi again. "Did we ever settle on a name?"

"I prefer Janet…"

Brad smiled again. "Janet Hunter it is then…"

x x x x x x

Far away from Zi, across the depths of space in another star system, a twin disc shape vessel drifted almost lazily towards a barren world. The Base Ships Raider scouts, searching for the humans who had escaped the destruction of the twelve Colonies of Man, had detected anomalous signals coming from this world. A recon in force was in order.

Had the Cylons been organic creatures, they would have felt chagrined at the depth of their mistakes. After they had lost track of the human Battlestar called _Galactica_, they had spread their Base Ships across the star systems, hunting for her and her fleet. As they had done so, they realised that their fixation on the _Galactica_ had been their undoing. At least six other sets of ships were following roughly in the _Galactica's_ wake, ranging in size from a trio of Colonial destroyers all the way to a nearly task force sized group of military ships and freighters. While the convoy protected by the _Galactica_ was the largest concentration of the surviving humans by far, the truth was that these other elements had been far more damaging to the Cylon Empire. Capable of much greater speed than the main fleet, the small groups of military ships moved back and forth, raiding Cylon outposts and convoys. Their constant attacks had drawn vitally needed Base Ships away from the _Galactica_, allowing them to slip away.

The surprising destruction of one of their Base Ships by the _Galactica_ itself sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. Up till then the _Galactica_ had done everything it could to avoid Base Ships. By the time another Base Ship had reached the system, the _Galactica_ and her fleet were long gone. One of the planets in that system had evidence of temporary human habitation, showing that the humans had taken the moment to pause for breath before pushing across the gulf that separated their galactic cluster from the main galaxy itself. Shortly afterwards, all the other sightings had faded. Even the Battlestar _Pegasus_, which had somehow survived taking on two Base Ships at once, dropped off the net.

A task force of eleven Base Ships, plus several support vessels and a number of Destroyers and gunships, was assembled and dispatched after the humans. Their orders were to track the humans down, follow them, and wait. Once the humans stopped and gathered their fleets together, then the force would strike.

Base Ship one-seven-two was roaming ahead of the main fleet, the centre for their recon effort. With two of her Raiders squadrons replaced by a squadron of gunships, she was well suited for long ranged patrols. Even if the gunships were discovered, they were more than capable of looking after themselves.

Now as the Base Ship approached the planet, those same gunships formed a screen ahead of the Base Ship, while the Raiders hung back, awaiting the order to attack. Quickly the powerful scanners of the Base Ship found the source of the signals, a base complex on the surface. The scans probed deeper…

Buried within the base itself, the command unit brought all his forces and fixed weapons to full power. Dispatched here by Helios before he landed on Zi, the command element was far more intelligent than the regular Cybrids, but not at the same level as Helios had been. Its orders were to build up an army, and await either Helios's signal to come forth, or head for Zi and assault the planet if the carrier signal cut off. The signal had died just before the bases sensors picked up the approaching ships.

While the Cylons scanned the base, the Cybrids did the same to the Base Ship. Both sides were confused when no life signs were detected. Neither was sure what to make of this situation. The Cylons were stunned at the possible discovery of another machine race, while the Cybrids had no experience at all with first contact.

But there were protocols, established by man just before Prometheus turned on them. The Cybrids began to transmit a signal on every frequency possible…

Up in the Base Ship, the Centurion responsible for communications turned to face his gold plated superior. **"The base on the planet is transmitting data across many wavelengths, primarily Gamma frequencies." **

**"Analyses the signal for content." **

**"By your command."**

**

* * *

DR: **Oh oh, the cylons are coming. Apollo, you'd best clean your blaster.

**Bit: **But, what's a Cylon?

**DR: **You'llfind out soon enough... Don't forget to Read & Review people!


	16. Seeing the Light

**DR: **Hi, sorry about last week. Had an all weekend event to go to...

**Zeke: **Concert?

**DR: **Nope, not even close

**Zeke: **(confused)

**DR: **Anyway, as a way to repent, here's not one or two, but THREE chapters for you all! Lucky lot ;)

**Irvine: **Good (puts feet up and grabs big tub of popcorn)

**Kaylee: **(snuggles up to Simon) Shiny!

* * *

Chapter 16: Seeing the Light

It was nearly afternoon before the Blitz returned home, tired and a little sore from their uncomfortable naps, but still ecstatic. Brad and Naomi's child was the centre of all the attention, and Naomi found her face was permanently flushed. Despite the aches in her body and her general feeling of exhaustion, she was still overjoyed at the feeling of at last feeling her daughter in her arms. Brad was also beaming, a smirk of pride twisting his lips. The rest of the team were all agape at the young Hunter.

"She's so cute!" Leena said, her jawing down slightly as she looked upon the sleeping infant in Naomi's arms. Both of them along with Sarah were sat in the ring of couches in the lounge, while the rest of the team got the zoids loaded. Everyone felt saddened that they didn't have much time to bond with their latest teammate, but the demands of the season could not be skimmed. Luckily once the Hover Cargo was underway there would be time to bond again.

Naomi smiled with pride at Leena's words. "She'll make a fine addition to the team…"

"When she's old enough…" Brad put in as he walked through, his smirk still in place. "I wonder if the Blitz will still be going then."

"Course we will!" Bit told him as he followed Brad through. He sat down besides Leena who turned to hug him tightly. For a few seconds the two of them forgot about everyone else in the room as they encircled each other with their arms. As they did so the rest of the team filed through, with the exception of Jamie and Pierce, since both their zoids needed to be secured firmly before the Hover Cargo could move off safely. Almost without thought the team gathered round the new parents, silently celebrating the advent of new life. Janet Hunter, as if aware of the attention she had, chose to wake up at that point, her baby blue eyes wandering across all their faces.

Of all the team, Stroller was the only one who was not totally overjoyed at the prospect of having a newborn child around. When Sarah had moved out of his place to have Vega, he had breathed a sigh of relief. Now though he had no choice. Luckily the Blitz Base was far larger than his small apartment had been, so hopefully he would be able to find a quiet spot when she started crying.

"So, any plans for her to have any brothers or sisters?" Steve asked jokingly.

Brad and Naomi looked at each other. "Haven't really thought about it Doc." Brad answered for both of them. "Been rather more concerned with this one actually." He hugged Naomi's shoulder as he spoke.

Sarah looked meaningfully at Leon, who slowly nodded. "May as well tell them now…" He told her quietly.

"Huh? Tell us what?" Pierce said as she and Jamie stepped through from the hanger. As was now a regular feature, her arm was laid across his shoulders, while his was around her waist. Despite their differing heights, the two of them slotted together perfectly.

"Well…" Sarah begun softly, "…Soon she will have someone her own age to play with."

Pierce's jaw dropped as she realised what Sarah was saying. "You mean… you too?"

Sarah nodded, Leon's arm wrapped around her thin shoulders.

"Hallajh!" Steve cried, stepping back to do a quick spin. The rest of the Blitz looked at him for a long moment, wondering if they would need to lock him in his room again. "I'm going to be grandfather!" Steve continued not noticing or caring about the team's funny looks. He stopped spinning to drop down behind Leon and Sarah before drawing them both into a hug.

From within Naomi's arms, Janet Hunter chortled, her small lips twisting into a smile. Brad looked down at her in amazement. "Well someone likes his antics…"

Leon patted his father's head, trying to get him to ease up a bit. Steve's hug was quite strong, despite his advanced years. "Dad, I'm glad you approve…"

"Approve?" Steve interrupted him, though he did ease off on the hug. "Leon, I'm ecstatic! You've answered another one of my dreams!"

Sarah smiled at Leon's lost look, before turning to look over at Bit and Leena. "What about you two? Any plans yet?"

Leena and Bit sat up straighter, their cheeks both flushing red. "Who said I wanted kids?" Leena stuttered.

"Leena, I heard you after that fight…" Naomi answered her question, mischief in her eyes. Leena flushed even redder than before.

"I didn't mean right away! Besides, we can't really afford for me to pull out. Without me and my zoid, what would you do?" It was true; the Iguanosaur had been a key component of most of their battles since the siege.

"I'm sure we could adapt…" Jamie started, before trailing off as he saw everyone looking at him. "What?"

"Oh no!" Pierce said, backing away slightly as she raised both hands. "It's a bit early to be thinking about that!"

Brad looked at Naomi, another smirk on his face. "I wouldn't say that…"

x x x x x x

Early next morning the Hover Cargo pulled into position on the battlefield. Hovering across the basin was the Sun Ray's brilliantly painted Whale King, just above both the Helidgunners. The lower hatches of the huge aerial zoid were already opening up, and on the racks that were lowered into place were the six zoids that the Blitz had faced before.

"Welcome back Blitz team." The Salamanders pilot called as the Hover Cargo opened up its upper hatch to deploy the team's zoids. "And may I be the first to say congratulations to the Hunters."

Steve frowned. "How'd you know?"

The other man chuckled. "It's well known that Naomi was pregnant. And I follow the news grids closely. What'd you get?"

Naomi leaned forward to answer. "A daughter."

The pilot whistled. "Well then, I expect she must really be something then."

Naomi smiled fondly as she looked down at her sleeping child, tucked into the crook of her arm. "She is."

"I know how you feel. I remember when my own daughter…"

"DAD!" The young girlish voice yelled across the net, coming from the Whale King. A stuttering of laughter echoed across the net after her cry.

"Honey, you'd best stop with the reminiscing. I think its embarrassing Karla." An older woman's voice replaced the young girl.

"Sorry sweetheart. Okay, release us."

As one all six flying zoids were released from their cradles, free-falling for a second before engaging their engines and swooping down to hover above the two Heldigunners. The Sun Ray's transport, its job done, backed away from the field. Now out of the shadow of the Whale King, all the zoids on the team shone in the light, their brilliant finishes and mirrored panels gleaming.

Bit narrowed his eyes, trying to avoid being dazzled. "Damn, I'd forgotten about this little trick of theirs."

x x x x x x

Almost an hour later, the Sun Ray's Salamander zoid thudded into the dirt, smoke rising from a string of laser hits along its back. Hovering overhead was Pierce's Storm Sworder, missing a wing tip and one foot.

"**The battle is over! The battle is over!" **The Judge intoned. **"The winner is… the Blitz Team!"**

With an exhausted sigh, Pierce allowed her zoid to glide back towards the Hover Cargo. That had certainly been one of the longest aerial duels she had ever undertaken.

The Blitz had learned from their previous fight with the Sun Ray's, and with an almost equal number of zoids, the fight was far fairer. Pierce had singled out one of the Storm Sworders as her target, while Jamie went after the opposing Raynos, which had been the one to put him down before. The rest of the team had fended off the Pteras bombers and Heldigunners. Brad had even nailed one Pteras. But the Salamander had been tough enough to simply bulldoze right through their fire and hit the Blitz hard. Leon had been the first taken out, a barrage of cannon fire knocking him for six.

One Heidigunner had tried to take out the Liger Zero with a swipe from its tail blades. The Liger had leapt backwards to evade, before using its oversized boosters to race up a cliff. Stroller had taken a few hits from the second one's guns, but the Elephander was capable of taking many such hits. While the Fury practically went subterranean itself chasing the offending zoid, Stroller continued to keep the other flyers at bay.

Brad managed to cripple the remaining Storm Sworder with his laser, but then the Salamander came in again, its cannons blazing. The Fox was knocked out of the fight, while Stroller took heavy damage from a volley of missiles fired by the gigantic flyer. Pierce, seeing this after downing her foe, had leapt upon the larger zoid.

One Heldigunner tried to take advantage of Strollers weakened position, but he underestimated both Strollers and the Elephanders abilities. As the smaller zoid surfaced, the trunk lashed out and latched onto it. The Heldigunner was quickly taken out when impaled on the Elephanders tusks.

Jamie put his Raynos through every extreme measure he knew, and it was just enough to shake off the other pilot. Both knew how to handle their zoids, and neither quit. They had at last gone head to head, the most dangerous manoeuvre in aerial combat. Both zoids had barely missed each other as they rocketed past the other. Jamie had emerged as the winner, but only just. The Raynos trailed smoke, and the handling was impaired. While the other Raynos nose-dived for the ground below, Jamie was preparing to leave the battle. The Salamander, having lost Pierce for a second, had other ideas and put a missile up his tail. Jamie was quickly following the other Raynos downwards.

Vega and the Fury quickly took out the second Heldigunner when they finally caught it, but then struggled to hit the remaining two Pteras bombers. Roaring in frustration, the Fury had unleashed its plasma beam right in their path. One pilot managed to evade, but the other only half made it. One wing was sliced clean off and the Pteras quickly rolled over and fell from the sky.

Bit and the Liger were getting frustrated too, as the remaining Storm Sworder, while damaged, was still capable of exceeding the speed of the Jaeger. After nearly being bowled over by a sonic wake, Bit had a sudden crazy idea. On the next approach of the Sworder, Bit had Stroller pick up the Liger in the Elephanders trunk and throw him after the flyer. Engaging the ion boosters allowed Bit to catch up with the sliver zoid. He knew had he'd never connect with the laser claws, but no zoid could outrun a bullet.

Even as the Liger Zero began to fall back to earth, Bit fired the cheek 30mm guns. The small calibre rounds punched through the weakened armour, and the Sworder had belly flopped down. But Bit and Liger didn't celebrate, since they too were heading for the ground, and at high speed. Liger managed to soften the landing, but the shock was enough to trigger the command system.

While Vega and Stroller had tried to box in the last Pteras, Pierce had her plate full with the Salamander. She had always wondered what it would be like to engage one of these aerial titans, and now she realised just how naïve she had been. With its heavy armour and multiple weapons, the Salamander was very tough. The Sun Ray's had also re-mounted some of the weapons into turrets, allowing much larger fields of fire. Pierce lost count of the number of times she had to break off an attack run to evade return fire. It had been too close a couple of times, as one lance of laser bolts tore apart the ankle joint of her zoids right leg, while a laser blade had taken away her left wingtip.

But at last, after almost fifty minutes of duelling way beyond the range of Vega and Stroller, she had found a chink in the Salamanders armour, and had pounded it mercilessly. Her lasers had stabbed again and again into the larger zoids back, before at last the armour had given way and the Salamander lost power. She had paced it the whole way to the end, making sure that it was not playing possum. But the Judge's ruling confirmed it.

Ahead she could see Jamie's Raynos already being drawn within the Hover Cargo, while besides the huge transport she could see the other zoids. The Liger Zero was back on his feet, though he looked a little unsteady. Pierce leaned back as she set the zoid down. She felt weary to her bones, and all she wanted was to fall in bed and sleep.

'_Okay, maybe not "sleep"… at least not at first…' _A blush rose on her cheeks as she saw Jamie walking towards her zoid. Despite his rough landing he looked fine, for which Pierce was very glad to see.

x x x x x x

Altiel smirked as he looked out over the newly built underground hanger at his newly refurbished Backdraft base. Hidden at the end of a canyon, you had to know it was there to even have a hope of finding it. And any unwanted guests would quickly be dealt with by the array of hidden gun nests along the canyon walls.

His smirk faded to a frown as he gazed upon the contents of the bay however. _'Is this what the mighty Backdraft has been reduced too?'_ He thought as he swept his gaze over the decrepit zoids below.

The most powerful of them all was the aging Zaber Fang, which had fought in the last war between the Republic and the Empire. Even at this distance, Altiel could see the rust that crept along the edges of the armour panels, the sorry looking gyro caps. The zoids head hung, as if it didn't have the strength to stand up straight. The zoid was _old._

After that things got worse. The ZBC had been very effective at rounding up nearly all the Backdraft's assets. Most of the zoids taken as prizes from defeated teams had been recovered, and nearly all their best teams had been locked away. Only the Fuma team was still outside of jail, but even then they were not truly free. So now all the Backdraft had to call upon were a few Moglas, drone Zabats and Demietis, a half-dozen Rev Raptors, a couple of Guysacks, some Sinkers and Road Skippers. Plus a handful of armed Gustavs.

He sighed as he considered the current situation he was in. Even with lacklustre equipment, an ace pilot could do wonders. Fuma, Stroller, Pierce, Vega… they had all been capable of bringing everything out of their zoids, and could work wonders even with such sorry zoids. But the regular pilots hadn't a clue. Their only use was as cannon fodder, just like their zoids.

He snarled again as he considered the fates of each one of those pilots. Pierce, Stroller and Vega had all defected to the Blitz Team, the Backdraft's greatest rivals. If it hadn't been for them, then the Backdraft would be supreme, ruling the world instead of cowering here in this old complex. He knew that he was going to take great pleasure in destroying them.

As for Fuma herself… He still could not believe it. Despite the heavy guard around her and her former teammates, his agents had managed to contact them all. His offer: serve him as the new leader of the Backdraft, and he would not only bust them out, but also get them their old War Sharks back.

While a couple of them had said yes, Fuma herself had been adamant in her rejection. Fuma wanted to return to 'normal' society, to help care for her mother. Apparently shortly before the Royal Cup she had fallen ill, and now needed constant care. Fuma was not going to abandon her now.

Altiel sighed again. He knew exactly how Committee Member Fuma had fallen ill; it had been his agent who had slipped the poison into her water supply at the Backdraft main base. Shortly after the Royal Cup, the poison would have built up to lethal levels and she would have died. And with her death, the route would have been clear for him to rise up. Sarah would have been a problem, but he had been planning how to take care of her when everything had gone to hell.

"Something wrong A?" Altiel turned to face Slater, the man from the Helic Republic who hated the Blitz almost as much as he did. Now in charge of all the zoids in the Backdrafts possession, he wielded a lot of power. He stood tall, never showing the knee to Altiel like all the others. It was annoying, but Altiel put up with it, since Slater was an expert at dealing with the rebellious warriors and organising their zoids. And right now, he was their best pilot.

"Just thinking about the past." Altiel nodded towards the data packet Slater was holding. "Something for me?"

Slater shrugged as he held the packet out. "The latest reports from all your operatives." As he took the packet, Altiel noted that the seal was still intact. Slater was curious, but he would never breach the chain of command and look at the contents himself unless invited to by Altiel.

Ripping off the cover, Alitel skimmed through the reports. Mostly they were depressing. Most of the splinter groups and gangs that before had worked with the Backdraft were now not interested in any form of a deal. ZBC Storehouses and depots still had tight security, preventing any form of theft…

Then he came to the last three reports. To Slater watching, Altiel's face went through a range of expressions. The first was one of a kid seeing a huge candy store ahead with a bugling wallet in his pocket. The second was of stunned shock, with a hint of horror and wonder. On the last report, his face twisted into a grin of pure malice and evil intent.

"I take it those three are worth the wait?" Slater asked his curiosity piqued.

"Indeed." Altiel sat down, still grinning. "It seems the Empire is sending a brand new Genosaurer to a training facility. It will be only lightly guarded." Slater's eyes widened as he realised the possibilities. He had not forgotten Altiel's promise to get him a Genosaurer.

"The second is a report from one of our salvage teams." Since they had rebuilt the Backdraft, they had sent out teams to salvage any zoids or zoid parts they found from old battle sites. "It seems they had found a hidden storehouse."

"Containing what zoids?"

"No zoids. Cybrids."

Slater's eyes shot open at that word. He too had seen the terrible aftermath of the Cybrids short but deadly reign of terror on Zi. He had not actually fought them, but he had heard tales from those who had…

"It seems this set are shut down, inactive. One fool even hit one with a shovel. No reaction." Now Slater grinned. He understood the implied meaning behind Altiel's words.

"And lastly, it seems that early yesterday morning, Naomi Hunter of the Blitz Team gave birth to her and Brad Hunters daughter…"

* * *

**DR: **Bad news os on the horizon...

**Mal: **(says something in Chinese to the say effect)

**DR: **Don't go away, we've got two more chapters to go!

**Zeke: **Hold on one sec... (runs out of room)

**Jayne: **Hey,free grub! (grabs Zeke's Malteasers)

**Leon: **Bad idea...


	17. Refresher Course

**DR: **Here's number two... (Zeke comes in)

**Zeke: **Okay, now thats... who ate my Malteasers!

**Jayne: **(speaks with mouth full) Du'know

**Zeke: **(notes chocolate stains on Jaynes fingers) Why you...

**Jayne: **Uh oh! (runs out, Zeke snapping at his heals)

**DR: **That'll teach him. Oh, things heat upquite a bitin the middle of this chapter, as Brad & Naomi have a 'moment'...

**O'Neill: **Cool.

* * *

Chapter 17: Refresher Course

Naomi stood looking up at the head of her Snipe Master, a coil of worry in her gut. It was now almost three months since she had sat in that cockpit, and she was as eager to return to it as she was apprehensive. Three months was a long time to be away, especially something like this. She knew that her skills would have eroded since she had been unable to even practice. Hence the planed refresher course today.

But there was a second part to her worry, something completely unrelated to the length of time she had been away from the zoid. Had her mind changed as a result of having her child? What if she had lost that touch, that killer instinct that was so vital for a warrior? As a mother, could she bring herself to fight again?

"Worried?" Brad asked gently as he stepped up behind her.

"A bit…" Naomi answered, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Brad looked over his wife critically. Now almost a week since the birth, it was almost impossible to tell that she had had a child. She had decided to wear her 'casual' clothing, her red and black jacket with black pants combination. The skin over her exposed shoulders gleamed in the light, and the high neck of her jacket made her neck seem longer, thinner. Her hair hung down to mid back level, and her eyes were turned upwards, towards her zoids head. Brad noticed that her clothing seemed a little tight across the chest, which was not too surprising, considering she was feeding their child the natural way.

"Don't worry about it Na'. You know what they say, it's just like riding a bike."

Naomi turned to face him, a small smile on her lips. "I never learned how to do that."

"Well, the principle remains." Brad told her, lost in her eyes. They stood like that for a long moment, barely a foot apart. One of his hands rested on her hip, while she had a hand on his shoulder. Words didn't need to be exchanged between them at that point; they both saw the love in each other's eyes.

They might have remained like that indefinitely if Jamie and Pierce had not chosen that moment to return to the base. They had spent the morning putting out targets for Naomi to engage. Some were fitted with simple sets of wheels and could move under their own power. It was nothing like the 'Gauntlet' that Christian has used to grade the Blitz, but it would do.

The two newest lovers in the Blitz stopped short when they saw how the Hunters stood. Flushing identical shades of red, Jamie and Pierce looked at each other. After a moment Jamie turned back and stepped forward, clearing his throat as he did so.

"Everything's set outside. You ready Naomi?"

Naomi blinked before turning towards Jamie. She shook herself before facing her zoid again. "I guess it's time."

"I'll be with you the whole time." Brad told her, before turning away to head for his own zoid. For the series of tests, the Shadow Fox would pace the Snipe Master and relay all the data gathered by its powerful sensors to the base. In the past the Hover Cargo would have both gathered and analysed the data, but the Foxes sensors were far more sensitive, while the bases new computer was vastly more powerful. Besides, bringing the Hover Cargo up to full power for one test run was wasteful of fuel. While Naomi and Brad were out, the rest of the team would stay at the base.

Naomi took a deep breath before she stepped up to the zoids leg. Quickly she began to climb upwards, her hands and feet finding purchase instinctively. As she began to move up the neck, the zoids canopy hinged open, a slight hiss in the air. Moving more confidently now, Naomi slipped into the seat, again feeling that semi-familiar feeling she had had when she had sat in the Snipe Master for the first time.

Breathing deeply again, she began to bring the zoid awake. Her fingers danced across the controls, memory taking over automatically. Quickly and fluidly the controls came alive as she slid her zoid gear into place with her left hand, locking in the last restraint with her right as she did so. The canopy seemed to shift and fade, and then she could see out of the zoid with ease. Just to her right she could see the Shadow Fox already clear of its bay, looking at her. Brad was clearly going to let her out first.

Interlacing her fingers and stretching her arms till her knuckles cracked, Naomi at last let her hands fall to the control sticks placed naturally at the ends of the seat's armrests. She felt a tingle run up her arms as her fingers slid into position. _'Brad was right. Once you learn you never forget…'_

Gently she eased the controls forwards. There was moment of resistance as the zoids joints strained against the semi-solidified lubricant. The zoid had been standing there in the bay ever since Naomi had pulled out of battling, and everything was a little stiff.

As a result the first couple of steps were a little jerky, but as both zoids headed out towards the area highlighted by Jamie on their computers, the motions of the Snipe Master eased up till it moved as fluidly as the Fox that paced it.

"So Na', how's it feel?" Brad asked over a private line, his face spilt by a grin.

"Brilliant." Naomi couldn't help but smile back at him.

x x x x x x

A couple of hours later, the pair of them stepped back into the main living area of the base, arm in arm. To their left they could see the rest of the team sat in the couches in the lowered area. Jamie was working the terminal to the side of the massive screen, while everyone else was watching the screen itself. Displayed on it was a schematic of the Snipe Master, along with several paused video clips of her run and a whole host of technical data. Sprawled out just behind the couch that Pierce sat on was the liger Angel, sleeping soundly. They couldn't call her little anymore since she was almost six foot long now, and must have weighed at least three hundred kilos. The ligers that Christian had kept were at least twice as big, both in length and weight, but angel was certainly not something most people would trifle with.

Naomi smiled fondly as she recalled the scene when she had first brought Janet home. For that first day she had refused to let her little girl out of her sight, and only reluctantly let others hold her. Angel had been extremely curious as to what was causing such a fuss, and several times Naomi had looked up to see this tawny face looking up at the bundle in her arms. The liger's eyes had been wide and the head tilted to one side slight, as if Angel was unsure what to make of the situation.

Despite her very real fears, Naomi had at last relented and allowed Angel to see Janet. The liger had looked down at the sleeping child for a long moment, before very slowly moving her head closer. Naomi had held her breath, tensing her arms just in case she had to pull Janet back suddenly. But her fears were unfounded, as Angel had only taken a long sniff of the newborn, before looking up at Naomi. As she had gazed into those big eyes, Naomi had the sudden impression that if the liger could have spoken, she would have been asking if the little frail thing in her arms was hers.

"She's my daughter Angel…" Naomi had told the liger gently. In response, Angel had rested one great paw on her thigh gently, while rubbing her head against Naomi's arm, purring all the while.

These thoughts about her daughter and Angel caused Naomi to glance upwards in the general direction of her and Brad's room, where Janet currently lay asleep. "Brad, I'm just going to check on Janet."

"I'll be right behind you." He replied, his eyes fixed on hers. Naomi noted the dancing spark in his, and she couldn't help but smile broadly in response.

She was still smiling as she stepped into their room. Shutting the door gently, Naomi glanced round their room. Or at least, the half she could see. As they had one of the end rooms, the floor space was larger than the others, and it rivalled the total room of the second floor of her old two-bedroom apartment. To provide them with a little privacy when in bed, Brad and Naomi had had a partition added that ran from the end of their extended en-suite bathroom to the other side of the room. There a half arched doorway allowed access to the sleeping section of their small corner of the Blitz Base. Naomi had insisted on having her own bathtub as part of their room, and Brad had no reason to object. Now they had a small private living area in addition to their bedroom and bathroom.

Naomi smile grew wider as her eyes settled on the crib that was nestled in the corner, just to her left. As she stepped up to the edge, Naomi's blue-violet eyes met the piercing blue of her daughters. The eyes she had inherited from her father, Brad.

"Why hello there…" She cooed as she lent over the crib. Janet Hunter smiled back, before a small wail emerged from her mouth. Naomi's eye danced with sparks as she recognised what her little one was saying. Without a word, she gently picked up her daughter before sitting down in the broad low chair just to the side of the crib. Sitting Janet on her lap, Naomi reached up to her throat and began to unzip her jacket. A sigh escaped her lips as the material eased its constraint of her bosom, which felt full once more, the means by which she just knew that her daughter was hungry. Pushing the two halves of her top apart, she gently took hold of her child again before raising her up so that her head was next to Naomi's breast. Little Janet wasted no time in latching on and began to drink her mother's milk.

Naomi sighed again as she relaxed into the feelings that emanated from her breast and coursed throughout her body. The simple act of feeding her child gave her such a sense of peace and pleasure. She looked down at the small head of her child, rocking her body back and forth gently. Only a week old and already several more hairs were appearing on her head, and she was much more fleshed out than when she first emerged.

"I almost feel envious of her."

Naomi looked up to see Brad standing just inside the door, leaning against the frame. He had clearly slipped inside while she had been lost in the wonder of their child. A sly smirk was on his face as he stepped forwards to sit down besides her. His arm ran along the seat back to clasp her shoulder, and Naomi gratefully and willing allowed him to pulled her into him. He sat askew, the better to look down at Janet, who Naomi had switched to the other side to allow him to see her properly. Janet herself was concentrating solely on her meal, and didn't appear to register the presence of her father. In the dim light of their room both parents watched as their daughter fed.

"I still can't believe it Brad…"

"What honey?" He whispered, seeing that Janet was beginning to relax.

"We created her, with our first act…" Naomi breathed, her voice filled with awe. "The pair of us created a new life, together. Created this perfect bundle of joy…"

"Try to say that the next time she cries for food at two in the morning." Brad winced.

Naomi turned her head to face him. "Come on, you love her really."

"Sure I do, but her timing in that regard still sucks."

"Nice choice of words there, Brad…" Naomi giggled. Brad had to take a second before he too got the joke. Once more that day they stared into the other's eyes, messages of love passing between them. It was only when Naomi felt a lack of something that she looked down.

"Looks like she's had enough." She commented.

Brad smirked as he took in the sight before him. Janet remained in Naomi's arms, but her head was tilted back, her eye closed in blissful sleep. Sighing, Naomi stood up and gently carried her back to her crib. As she bent over to lay Janet down, Brad found his eyes locked on his wife's figure. Suddenly the heat rose, and he swiftly stood up behind her.

Naomi was just about to do her clothing up again when she felt his hands cover her own, stilling them. She suddenly realised that he stood just behind her, and his breathing was deeper than before. Gasping as she realised his intentions, Naomi felt her own breathing speed up as his hands wandered upwards. As he gently peeled the shirt off her shoulders, he laid a kiss against the nape of her neck, sending a shiver running up and down her spine. Naomi twisted her head around as far as it could go to kiss him as he lowered his hands to cup her breasts.

For a long moment the pair of them stood together like that, drinking of the rising passions in each other. At last they parted, but only at the mouth. A gap on only a couple of inches opened between then, and they looked into each other's eyes, reading the passionate spark that danced within.

"It's been a long day Na'…" Brad breathed, his voice husky and overlaid with tones of lust. "Lets get an early night…"

Naomi giggled as she turned in his arms, allowing him to pick her up by sliding his hands under her buttocks. "Well, I'm not going to argue with logic like that…" Already her hands were pulling his shirt open, allowing her to rest her own nude body against his bare skin…

x x x x x x

Late the morning after their next battle notification came through. "The Juggernaut Team." Jamie muttered as he read through the date sent to the Blitz. Over on the couch Bit frowned.

"Where have I heard that name before?"

"They were the team that came to our aid in the city." Brad told him, not once looking up. Naomi lay snuggled against him, and he had one arm wrapped round her. On her lap little Janet rested, blissfully asleep. "Remember the black Shield Liger?"

Bit nodded, recalling that liger. It was only the third oddly coloured shield Liger he'd ever seen, after Leon's red one and a pale yellow one on another team.

For the next little while Jamie frowned and muttered to himself, his gaze locked on the screen of the terminal he was using to pull up all the data he could find on the Juggernauts. Part way through Pierce stepped up behind him and gently began to massage his shoulders. He did reach one hand up to clasp hers, but otherwise showed no reaction. Meanwhile the rest of the team slowly gathered on the couches. Leon brushed his hair back out of his eyes as he sank down besides Sarah, both of them enfolding the other in their arms.

"You'll have to forgive me love if I start to stink." He whispered to her. "I would have a quick shower, but Jamie appears to be almost ready and…"

"Hush Leon…" She silenced him with a finger on his lips. "No one's going to care that you just came from the gym."

Soon they were all there except Vega. Bit was beginning to wonder where the young man had gotten to, when Vega stumbled down the stairs, rubbing his eyes. He looked half asleep.

"Vega, you alright?" Leena asked, a note of concern in her voice. Vega blinked rapidly a couple of times before answering.

"I'm alright. Just didn't get a good nights sleep…" Even his voice sounded tired.

"More like you snuck up to the roof to do some more star gazing." Stroller stated, not even looking up from his paper. His words made Sarah look up at her first-born son, her eyebrow raised.

"Vega?" She asked, her voice commanding.

Vega's shoulders slumped. "Sorry mom." His head hung as he sat down besides her.

Sarah face lost her stern look as he did so, and she slid her free arm around him. "It's okay honey. Just try not to let it ruin your battling."

Vega lifted his face to look at her. "Thanks mom."

At that moment Jamie with Pierce in tow came over from the dinning table wear he had been working. As he slid the remote terminal into its port, she sat down as close to him as possible. Quickly Jamie hit a few keys before turning to face the rest of the team. After all the changes in the team he remained their strategist. As happened most of the time, Bit, Leena, Brad and Steve were only half paying attention if that, while everyone else was at least listening politely. Pierce was paying him her full attention, but Jamie knew that she was concentrating on him speaking rather than what he saying. Still, the attention was very flattering.

"The Juggernaut team, in many respects, fights in a similar manner to us." He began, as a display of the Juggernauts zoids came up. Central to the force was the black Shield Liger, flanked by the custom Dibisons. These ones were the most heavily customised the Blitz had ever seen. The side rows of four cannons had been replaced with two long laser blades each, while the back hump was much reduced. The grid of nine heavy cannons was gone, and at the rear a pair of large ion boosters were mounted.

Directly behind the Shield Liger a Gojulas stood, loaded with a heavy arsenal. Two Dark Horns stood each side of the heavy saurian zoid, while out on each flank a Zaber Fang stood. The Gojulas and both Zabers had been re-coloured to be black too.

"Basically the Gojulas and the Dark Horns act as fire support, while the rest of the team charges forwards. The Dark Horns tend to advance behind the main wedge, while the Gojulas remains in place." As Jamie had been speaking, schematics of each zoid came up one by one. It was clear that the Gojulas had been customised to remain standing no matter what. The lower legs had been massively reinforced, and the last third of the tail had been fused into a solid spike.

"Typically, the Shield Liger leads flanked by the Dibisons. The liger deploys his shield, while the Dibisons use their laser blades." On the screen the Liger stood with its shield up, while the Dibisons had all four of their laser blades active. Just behind them the Zabers stood. "The Zaber Fangs usually remain behind the main wedge, and provide close range fire support. They also use their turreted weapons to hit targets after they have passed them."

Vega yawned at that moment, and everyone turned to look at him. "Sorry." He grinned sheepishly.

Stroller turned back to face Jamie. "So what's your plan?" He asked. Since he had joined the Blitz he had come to respect Jamie's tactical skills. Despite his age and size, he could have matched wits with the best of them. True, having a team made up of zoids like theirs helped.

"We're going to have to disrupt their charge, and then separate them." Jamie told them as he reached behind himself to hit another key. The screen blanked before displaying his suggested line up for the Blitz. "Both the Zabers and the Gojulas have poor anti-air abilities, and the Dibisons can't make tight turns if they want to keep up with the others. On top of that, the Shield Ligers shield only protects him from the front arc." On the screen over his shoulder The Raynos, Storm Sworder, Shadow Fox, Iguanosaur, Liger Zero, Fury, Blade Liger and Snipe Master stood.

Naomi's eyes widened as she saw her little zoid stood with the others. "You want me to go out there?" She asked, her voice worried. Brad squeezed her shoulder half out reflex and half out of concern.

Jamie nodded. "Uh huh. Your sniper rifle is the ideal weapon with which to disrupt their formation and tactics. Especially if Leena can cause the other team to founder."

"And how am I supposed to do that?" Leena asked, making an effort to keep her voice down, as she was aware that there was a sleeping child just across from her.

"If you target the area of ground ahead of them, they will have to slow up to safely cross the broken terrain." Leena grinned as she realised Jamie's plan.

"Once Naomi and Leena have broken their charge, we can then close in and pick them off one by one." Jamie concluded. As the screen powered down, Steve stood up, a grin across his face.

"Okay team, lets get packing! It's going to be a long round trip."

Naomi nodded along with everyone else as she sat up, gently scooping Janet into her arms as she did so. Jamie was placing a lot of trust in her by asking that she participate in the next battle. Naomi only hoped that she'd be up to it.

* * *

**DR: **One more to go... hey where did Carter andO'neill go?

**Shadow: **Oh, they left right after that bedroom scene. She was looking a little flushed, and he...

**Irvine: **Don't go there.

**Shadow: **Oh yea, how you going to stop me?

**DR: **(clears throat) Guys, remember the content rating...


	18. Hunters Moon

**DR: **And now chapter number three. Things are turning much darker from here on.

**Shadow: **How dark?

**DR: **Hmm, not sure. It's not quite as dark as when Hlitz was running around in the Death Stinger, but it is pretty close...

**Mal: **Who? What?

* * *

Chapter 18: Hunters Moon

As she brought her Snipe Master to a halt in line with the other zoids on the team, Naomi found herself breathing rapidly. There across the barren plain stood the zoids of the Juggernaut Team, their black forms hard against the horizon. Her throat felt as dry as the loose soil on which her zoid stood. Naomi began to move her hand down to rub it dry on her thigh, but then stopped as she recalled that she had put her 'battle uniform' on. Until she had not been able to due to her pregnancy, she had worn her casual clothes nearly all the time. The red and black long-tailed shirt combined with those black pants felt comfortable on her.

The main reason she didn't wear those clothes while piloting her zoid was because she didn't what to get them marked, but there was another reason. Early on in her career she had very little money to her name, and so she had been forced to wear the same clothes all the time. The day when she won her first match nearly all her clothes were in the wash, so she had been forced to just throw on her boots, a battered tank top and get going. She had figured that since her opponents would only see her upper body if they called, it wouldn't matter if she weren't wearing pants.

Since then, it had almost become standard for her to not wear pants into battle, since it seemed to bring her luck, and over time she had grown comfortable walking around in little more than a swimsuit. But at times, like now, she wished she had worn a pair.

With a bleep, a comm window appeared to her left, revealing Brad's smiling face. "Na', you've got to ease up. I can see how nervous you are by the way your zoids standing."

Naomi flushed. "I can't help it. It's been so long…"

"You'll do fine." Brad told her before he signed off.

As the Judge capsule shot from the skies, Naomi tired to take several slow, deep breathes. _'Okay, now get a grip on yourself. It's just like the practice run from the other day. Nothing to worry about…' _Never the less, a hard knot of worry remained in her gut.

In the background she could hear the usual pre-match banter going on between Bit, Leena and the Juggernauts team leader. The confident tones of her team-mates steadied Naomi's nerves, and she gripped the controls firmly, once more with confidence.

"**The Blitz Team Vs the Juggernaut Team, battlemode 0982." **The Judges mechanical voice silenced the others. **"Ready… Fight!"**

With a combined roar the Liger Zero and the Fury broke into a run, while Jamie and Pierce, both who had been holding their zoids tensed up, unleashed hellfire from their boosters and blasted towards the skies. On the far side of the team Leon pushed forwards, while Brad paced Naomi as she sprinted for a rocky spire on the left flank. Naomi knew that it wasn't simply a case of Brad wishing to stay with his wife; ever since the Fox became invisible to zoid sensors, Jamie had been looking at extra ways to use this advantage. One interesting fact was that if the Fox was directly between one zoid and another, completely blocking line of sight, then that zoid was hidden too. With their current team line up, it only really worked with her small Snipe Master, but it was perfect for Naomi. With Brad screening her from the other team's view, she could slip into position without them even noticing.

Naomi was just reaching her spot when she saw the effects of Leena's opening barrage. While she had had nothing but contempt for the way Leena used her old Gunsniper, Naomi had to admit that her new Iguanosaur was truly a powerful foe. It fitted Leena perfectly, from its gentle calming nature to the tips of its many cannons.

Her rounds tore apart the ground before the Shield Liger, far too close for the other pilot to respond in time. Naomi smirked as she watched the Liger stumble over the rough ground, the crumbly edges of new craters providing very poor support. Both the Dibisons turned away, but in wide arcs. A swarm of missiles cashed after them as both the Liger Zero and Fury closed in on the Zaber Fangs that were just coming up to the Shield Liger.

Further ahead, Naomi could see both Jamie and Pierce were strafing the Dark Horns, disrupting their fire patterns. The Gojulas remained locked in place, the heavy stabilisers on its ankles keeping the massive beast upright as it unleashed an inferno towards the Blitz.

'_Okay big guy, let's see you do that without your fancy toys…' _Naomi lined up her shot before gently squeezing the trigger. The sniper rifle spoke, the hyper-velocity round screaming across the plain to smash right into the ankle joint of the Gojulas. The force of the impact shattered the gyro cap, while the round itself careened upwards under the armour to tear about inside the added stabiliser. Even as smoke began to leak from within the added part, Naomi began to fire again, each shot reaching out to strike cap after cap, taking the joints of the Gojulas out one by one.

The Gojulas fired another volley, but the right leg was not up to withstanding the massive recoil. The entire zoid spun around, sending its fire wide. Even at that distance, Naomi thought she could hear the scream of tortured metal as the leg sheared itself apart. Like an unsteady tower of bricks, the Gojulas wavered before slowing falling over to crash down into the soft ground.

Down on the plains below Naomi could see Brad's zoid clawing all other one of the Dibisons, while Leon was snapping at the heals of the second. Bit and Vega had bypassed the Shield Liger, leaving him to Leena's tender mercies, and had homed in on the Zabers. Seeing the black liger struggle to rise, Naomi put a shot into its right foreleg, smashing deep into the zoids shoulder joint. Suddenly the leg ceased to work.

Nodding, Naomi swung her sights back towards the Dark Horns, who had their hands full holding of the Blitz's aerial duo. But pilots seem to simultaneously push and reassure each other on. Those two were made for each other.

Naomi's first shot snapped of a gatling rifle, while her next crippled a leg. As she watched both pilots swoop in on the lame Dark Horn, she glanced back towards the others. While Bit and Vega were just finishing off their foes, she could see that Leon and Leena had theirs down. Brad however seemed to have run into a bit of trouble, as the Fox lay on its side, one set of legs cut of at the mid joint. Cursing quietly to herself, Naomi swung her weapon around and fired several shots into the Dibison. The zoid made it only a couple of steps from Brad before her rounds struck, causing the zoid to stiffen and collapse.

"**The battle is over! The battle is over! The winner is… the Blitz team!"**

x x x x x x

Derek smiled as he flicked off the screen. He leaned back as he thought about the Blitz, and the waves they were making without realising it.

Looking back, he had to wonder how he had maintained his enthusiasm in zoid battle before the Blitz came along. Before them all the teams knew each other, and everyone had settled into routines. While each battle was fought just as hard as before, the spark had been lost.

In the past, that spark was rekindled when a new team entered Class S via winning the Royal Cup. The 'normal' way to reach the class was so hard that only one man had ever done so. For almost any team it was near impossible. But over the last few years those new teams tended to either fall out of Class S within six months due to continuous losses, or be absorbed within older, more experienced teams. Certainly the change from fighting with three-to-four zoids in regimented matches to the Class S norm of seven-to-nine zoid battles, and a much looser view of the rules, was quite a culture shock.

So as a result for year after year the same teams would circle each other, and generally their ranking would remain about the same. Each one would experience both good and bad lucky streaks, but overall the ranking in Class S remained the same.

Then the Blitz came in. Derek had been watching the Class B battles that fateful day when Bit joined simply by chance. Something in the cocky blond man had caught his eye, and ever since Derek had been watching him. Just like his forefather did.

The Blitz's rise to fame had been meteoric. Within a year they had risen a rank, something practically unheard of before. They took on and beat many teams and warriors that had had a long-standing reputation for being unbeaten, like Naomi Fluegel. And then they seemed to always be right where the Backdraft was, and each time they ruined that shadowy organisations plans.

Derek remembered the scuttlebutt and rumours that had circled around the team leaders events during the few months before the Royal Cup. Nearly everyone had heard of this team that had come out of nowhere and were tearing apart the field. And while it was expected that they would get into Class S, the prediction was that they would be out within three months.

At the time, Derek had kept his thoughts to himself. While logically he agreed with the others, his gut was telling him otherwise. He didn't know exactly why his gut differed, but he knew that he had to listen. Christian had grilled him enough about not following one's own gut instinct.

At first, the others looked like they would be right. That first month in Class S had been hard on the new team. The basic flaw in their battles had been, apart from being under strength compared to everyone else, was that they fought as a team of individuals, not the closely knit group like the others.

Then they had brought in a set of warriors that made even the most grizzled Class S veteran pause. Pierce, Stroller and Vega Obscura. Those three had been aces in their own right. Suddenly, when they joined and brought their own zoids in, along with Naomi and Leon, the Blitz became a serious and worthy foe. The other teams were stirred from their apathy and began to take note once more.

And now… the team was even stronger. Leena's new zoid dominated every battle it was in, and not just because of its size. And the new bonds between the team members bound them together in way that very few other teams could understand. Generally the partners of other warriors were support staff, not pilots. It was a rare thing for both members of a married couple to be warriors, since it played hell with raising a family, as the Blitz had found.

For the first time in a long while, Class S teams had to rethink their tactics, team selections and weapon options. The range of movement within the ranking system was vastly increased, with the Blitz pushing onwards and upwards. And to Derek, that could only be a good thing. The memory of the 'Apaches' and the 'Rampagers' teams destruction was not lost on any of them. The teams within Class S had become lax, inattentive and lazy. The Blitz team provided quite a serious wake up call to them all.

And now Naomi was back. Derek smiled again as he recalled the faces of the expectant parents. He knew in his gut that despite how crazy the team members looked from the outside, any child raised within that tightly knit family would be loved, doted on and would learn a great many things from them all.

x x x x x x

Far away across Zi in the dark woods of Nyx, Homeland of the Guylos Empire, the moon was high and full in a clear sky. Slater, sitting in the cockpit of the Backdrafts ancient Zaber Fang, smirked as he recalled an old saying about such a night.

'_They used to call that 'Hunters Moon'. Well, tonight we're the hunters…' _He looked again at his tactical display, noting the location of all the units under his command. The Moglas were as close to the route of the convoy as they could get, hidden underneath the brush on one flank. The other was blocked by a sheer cliff. The Rev Raptors and Demantis units would block off their escape routes ahead and behind. Slater had himself positioned on the cliff top above the convoy, along with the Guysacks. Lastly, the Sinkers were positioned behind the Moglas, in position to cut off anything that tries to escape.

It was a solid plan, but Slater still had his doubts. He was forced to use the second rate units the Backdraft had in its possession. And given the nature of the cargo the Imperial convoy was hauling, he doubted that they would be escorted by rookies. Still, the prize was worth it.

A click came over the comm, the signal from his forward Roadskipper scout. The convoy was here. Slater sent a double click back, which was also the signal for the Gustavs to get ready. On his signal, they would push a set of boulders over the edge, blocking the convoy's path.

Slowly but surely the convoy rumbled on. Three Gustavs comprised the convoy. Two were hauling a set of four simple shipping crates, while the central one held the real prize. The trailer was one of the larger enclosed types, completely hiding what was within. But despite the labelling on the sides proclaiming 'Imperial Force Rations', Slater knew what was really being carried.

Pacing along the flanks of the convoy were eight Rev Raptors, four each side. And ambling ahead of them all, a Shield Liger. Slater frowned at the sight of the distinctive white zoid. Liger type zoids were, nominally, republican. Shrugging to himself, he gripped his controls a little tighter as he waited for the right moment…

x x x x x x

Lieutenant Travis sighed as the convoy began the final leg of its trip. It had been a long day, with very little going on but requiring constant attention. Due to the destructive power of the Genosaurer, both the Empire and the Republic had a vested interest in keeping track of them all. As such, any new unit always had an escort from both sides when delivered.

Right now though the only thing on Travis's mind was getting to the training base and delivering the cargo, so he could hit the sack. The long trip was now into its fifteenth hour, and Travis was beat. He tried to fight it, but he could feel his eyes drooping…

"Lieutenant! Look out!" The sudden yell across the comm snapped him awake. Movement in the corner of his eye drew his attention, and he glanced upwards to see a number of large rocks falling down towards him. His eyes shot wide as one particularly large rock bounced off a small ledge right above him.

"Holy cr…"

Before he could finish his thought the rock struck his Liger in the shoulder. The Liger was spun round by the impact, driving it into the ground. The shoulder joint itself was crushed to a pulp against the shoulder bracing within the Liger, and the entire spine was bent out of shape. Travis was thrown around within the cockpit, the restraints driving the breath from his lungs and the impact setting up a ringing in his ears. Several more heavy impacts resounded from behind him.

Dazed, he could only watch as a deluge of smaller rocks buried one of the Rev Raptors whole, while the others on that flank were struck by flying debris. But even before the rocks had stopped falling, cannon fire began to lace into the convoy from the wooded area on the other flank, while the glow of red bulbous eyes at the rear highlighted the position of Demantis zoids. As the Rev Raptors turned to engage, fire lanced down from the ridgeline at their backs.

Despite the surprise assault, the Imperial soldiers fought back with a vengeance, using their zoids small size and agility to dodge hostile fire. And with the Moglas sitting still, they were easy targets.

But then Travis saw a dark shape leap down from the ridgeline. It bounded from ledge to ledge before leaping onto the back of the squad leaders zoid, who so far had evaded everything thrown at him. The weight of the Zaber Fang bore the much smaller zoid to the ground, but the attacking pilot was not satisfied with just taking his foe out. With a snarl, the Zaber raised one paw high before slamming it down on the Raptors head, crushing the cockpit and killing the pilot instantly.

With the horrific death of their leader, the morale of the Imperials broke down, and each one was taken out rapidly. Travis grasped his controls, trying to get into the fight, but his Ligers systems were frozen solid.

A shadow fell across him, and he looked up, knowing what he would see. The Zaber Fangs head was backlit by the full moon, and the eyes glowed evilly.

Travis sighed, then without thought reached for the pendent around his neck. Just as his fingers brushed the cool metal, the cockpit canopy shattered, and he had one last glimpse of the sharp, rusted edges of the Zaber Fangs claws before everything went black with a sickening crunch.

x x x x x x

Slater pulled the Zabers paw free of the ruin of the Shield Liger's cockpit before turning to regard the ambush. Already the Backdrafts troops were rounding up the survivingImperial pilots and Gustav crews, while their own Gustavs approached to collect the fallen zoids. He smiled to himself as he considered the haul. In addition to the main prize, the Backdraft now had an extra six Rev Raptors and plenty of supplies.

"Commander Slater sir!" The lieutenant in command of the infantry called. "All prisoners are secure. What are your orders?"

Salter thought for a second. The Backdraft didn't have the manpower to hold prisoners and they couldn't let them go… that left only one option.

"Have them all killed."

"Sir?"

"You heard me. We don't have time to waste with them. And we certainly can't have them tell the Imperials who attacked them." Altiel had been very firm about the fact that they still had to remain a mystery, not reveal their hand just yet.

"Yes sir." There was resignation in the man's voice.

Slater put the Lieutenant and his prisoners out of mind. Instead he focused on what was contained within that seemingly harmless crate.

'_Soon now, I'll have my revenge…'_

x x x x x x

A couple of hours later, only a few dozen miles away, Cassandra Cortez was awakened from a very nice dream by a hand on her shoulder. She opened her bleary eyes to see the face of General Boyd's female secretary. As she focused her sight, Cassie noted that the other woman looked frightened out of her mind.

"I'm sorry to wake you ma'am, but there's been an incident…"

* * *

**Van: **That murderer!

**Raven: **Even I wasn't as bad as that...

**DR: **I did say that things were going to get dark. Next time we have the long awaited Trial of Rico, and we witness a 'moment' between Jamie and Pierce... till then! Don't forget to Review!


	19. Judgement

**DR: **First off, I have thank everyone for your kind words. I know that certain twists in my story may upset and anger people, but that happens anyway. Just look what Troy Dennings did to those Jedi in 'The Swarm War'. Horrible what he did, but he got those printed!

**Jaina: **Yea, he turned me into a crazy bug hugger who turned on her lover!

**Jag: **I forgave you, you know...

**Jaina: **(hugs Jag warmly) I know...

**DR: **I just wanted to say that I'm going to go to some dark places in this part of the trilogy. Remember the Backdraft is being run by a man who has lost it, and he has hired a load of cut-throats and scum. Now, we find out what happens to Rico...(evil laughter)

* * *

Chapter 19: Judgement

Rico stood stoically as the speaker for the jury stood up at the judge's command. "We have your honour."

"And what is your verdict?"

"We find the defendant Rico Belacon, on the charge of possession of stolen goods, guilty." A murmur rose from the rear of the court as the speaker continued.

"On the charge of illegally tapping power and communication lines, guilty." More murmurs rose, mainly from the region which contained the owners of the homes he had had been tapping.

"On the charge of tax evasion, guilty."

Despite every instinct in him screaming at him to sneer at the jury, Rico kept his blank look on. However his eyes twisted so he could look across the court at Pierce, sat just behind the prosecutors bench. The rest of the Blitz team, including Brad and Naomi's new child, were sat around and behind her, with Jamie sat at her side. Rico saw the pair of them grip each other's hands, as now they came to the more serious charges.

"On the charge of possession of illegal narcotics, and the forced use of said narcotics on another, guilty." Rico felt his guts twisting about, while out of the corner of his eye he saw his lawyer sitting with a pained expression on his face. Rico had paid out top Zen for the best lawyer he could get his hands on, but against an air tight case like this, there was nothing he could do, even if he was crooked.

"And on the charge of attempted rape…" Pierce tensed up, her eyes looked on the speaker. "…guilty."

The relief that poured off the Blitz team was so thick one could have caught it in a sieve. Pierce's shoulders slumped as her chin dropped, while Jamie moved his arm around her. Outwardly Rico showed no reaction, but inwards he seethed. How dare these punks turn him in! And how could Pierce allow such a young squirt to hold her like that!

"Rico Belacon, you have been found guilty on all charges." The judge intoned in his monotone voice.

'_Yea, tell me something I don't already know old fool!' _But Rico knew better that to hurl _that _at the judge.

"You have showed a total disregard of the lives you have affected, and even now you display no remorse. There is now way of knowing just how many people you have cheated and stolen from. At least you will no longer be in a position to harm anyone else." The judge paused, and looked down his nose at Rico, a stern look in his eyes.

"Such wanton disregard for the wellbeing of others is truly contemptible, and your behaviour is atrocious. You are therefore sentenced to be incarcerated for a period of no less than fifteen years." Rico tried to fight it, but he couldn't stop his jaw from dropping.

'_FIFTEEN YEARS! That's INSANE!'_ But worse was to come.

"In addition, those who you have been living off like a leach will be compensated for the bills you run up on their accounts. All stolen goods in your possession will be returned to their rightful owners, and all legal fees will be paid from your accounts. After that, the people who brought you in will have first pick of what's left." This announcement drew gasps from the courtroom, with the Blitz providing the loudest ones. The judge was basically allowing them to take their pick of Rico's possessions, like they were trophies!

"Case closed, Court Dismissed." And with that the judge hit the gravel before him firmly before the defence lawyer could fully open his mouth to protest. The rap of the solid wooden mallet striking it had an unmistakable note of finality to it.

"Your honour…" Rico's lawyer began, but the judge was already standing up and turning away. The lawyer turned to Rico, shrugging.

"I'm sorry Mr. Belacon, but…"

"You're so dead." Rico's low hiss cut off the lawyer, who paled rapidly. "I paid top mark for you, and then you fail on me!"

"Mr Belacon, it was an air-tight case…"

"Go to hell!" Rico snarled.

"Oh I think that you're the one who's going there." Rico snapped his head round to look at the young, cheerful face of Bit Cloud. Behind him Rico could see the rest of the Blitz gathered round Pierce, with that runt Jamie in her arms.

"I'll get you all for this…" Rico snarled again as he was dragged away by the security members.

"Yea, I've heard that a lot." Bit commented jovially.

x x x x x x

Near the back of the courtroom Altiel continued to remain sitting, watching the interaction between Bit and Rico. As the now furious former pilot was dragged away, Altiel sat in his seat, a slow smirk twisting his face.

'_Yes, he'll do nicely. He already has reason to hate the Blitz, and he's still considered one of the best…' _In truth Altiel had risked being recognised for a chance to scope out the Hunters new child, and to see how the Blitz acted around each other. It was crucial to his plan against them that he knew how they felt about the others. But he had never expected to not only fulfil his own mission, but also to find another potential recruit for the growing Backdraft.

Chuckling to himself, he stood up and turned to leave, pulling his cloak about him as he did so. Despite having kept his face hidden from the bulk of the Backdraft, Bit knew his face, and enough of a description had gotten out to at the least give a guard pause for thought.

Once outside the courthouse he made better time, and was quickly sat in the rear of the car that he had ridden in. Even as he closed the door the driver was pulling away, and Altiel was able to lower his hood.

"So how did it go? You see the Blitz?" Sat across from him was Altiel's long time right hand man, Albane. Altiel had found him poking around some ruins when he had been doing the same, hunting for the legendary Ultimate X zoid. Since then the two of them had been working together, and Altiel had kept his existence secret from the rest of the Backdraft. Despite working together for so long, finding those blood red eyes watching him was still disconcerting. _'Possibly that's a result of who he looks like.'_

"Even better than I hoped for." Altiel grinned broadly. "The whole team is acting like one big family. A soft one at that." A scowl crossed his face for a second as he remembered the way that Pierce had hugged that little brat, and how Sarah had been hanging off Leon's arm. It was disgusting how they behaved now! "Once we have our targets, we'll have them."

"Good." Albane stated, never one to use ten words when two would do. "Anything else?"

"Yes actually. They were in for the trial of a warrior, Rico Belacon. Stolen goods, drugs, tapping power lines, attempted rape… a real sour egg."

"And?" One of Albanes ghostly white eyebrows rose fractionally.

"Looked like the intended victim was none other than Pierce, and now Rico's got a strong hatred of the whole team."

"Ah." Albane leaned back in his seat. "So you want to recruit him?"

"You think it can be done?"

"Getting him sprung won't be a problem. Nor will getting him into our camp if you're right. The problems might come from his pride. This Rico sounds like the type who is full of himself."

"Well, I'm sure we can cater for any reasonable requests." Altiel sat back in his seat. "If he proves to be too much of a nuisance, well…" Albane smiled cruelly as he filled in what Altiel left unsaid.

x x x x x x

Pierce sighed in contentment as she sank down onto the bunk in the Hover Cargo. The team had stopped en-route to a battle to attend the final stages of Rico's trail, and now they were heading off to fight the next morning.

"Happy to see justice done?"

She looked down at Jamie, already laid out on the bunk. Ever since the two of them had become an item, they had started sleeping together when travelling to battles. Back the base they generally stuck to their own rooms, but it was clear that the rest of the team were expecting them to move in together.

"Very much so." She answered him as she unzipped her flight suits jacket. Jamie sat up to help her remove it, his fingers brushing at the nape of her neck as he did so. She sighed again as her arms slid free, before bending over to unsnap her knee length boots. Jamie gazed at her back, not really seeing the black tank top she wore underneath her suit, but rather the way her skin rippled as she tugged each boot off.

As Pierce slid the lower half of her suit off, she happened to look over her shoulder at her young lover. Jamie's eyes were round, his gaze slowly trailing across her back. Pierce could only smile at the affection displayed in his eyes. She watched as he tentatively reached a hand out to gently rub her back. Pierce crane her neck back and gave a small moan from deep in her throat. Although she had tried not to show it, being that close to Rico again had sent tingles of dread up her spine. And when he had looked at her when the Jury began to deliver their verdict, her blood had run cold.

But now Jamie's touch slowly brought her back from that dark place. Twisting in place, she brought her legs up onto the cot and slid them in down besides his own, making sure to rub against him. While the pair of them were not making like rabbits like the other couples did, they did enjoy the slower, more sensual pleasures.

"I love you Jamie…" She whispered as she laid down beside him on her side facing him. Her long teal hair laid puddle about them both, and her left arm lazily slid around his shoulders.

Jamie grinned back, a grin that must have been a leftover from the 'Wild Eagle' personality that he used to have. Now though there was just him, a balanced young man. "I love you too…" He replied with some heat. The feeling of her long bare legs sliding against his own had been most delightful. He gently wrapped his arms round her, one of his hands almost slipping underneath her top. For the moment, they still wore undergarments when together. If there was one thing the pair of them had learned lately it was the value of taking things slowly.

As they lay there, both the verge of sleep, they stared into the others eyes, silently pledging to the other that they would never leave them. Jamie watched as her eyes slowly closed, and through their bodily contact he could feel her breathing slow to the deep, relaxed rate of sleep. Ever so gently he brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face, allowing the moonlight that filtered through the view port to explore every line of her face. Many a time when they had laid together like this he had found himself doing this, simply watching her face as she slept.

'_It's true what they say. When you sleep, your real face emerges.'_

He sighed gently as he allowed his thoughts to drift, back across the last couple of weeks. Now that he had experienced it for himself, he could now understand the way his father, Steve, Leon and even Bit and Brad acted around their loved ones. He could comprehend the pain that his father and Steve must have gone through when their wives died. Certainly if Pierce died now he would be heart broken.

Almost without thought, his eyes drifted to the shelf across the cabin. Right in the corner, hidden away from sight, he had slipped away something he had bought just before they had left the great city. Leon had suggested that he pay a visit to this particular store on the fifth level. When Jamie had found the place he had felt himself glowing crimson, since Leon had not told him want the store actually was. But once he had entered he understood completely.

Now it sat, waiting for the right time. Jamie had originally thought that within a couple of weeks of them returning from the city it would have used, but things had not turned out that way. Pierce's distance had worried him, and for a time he had doubted his only feelings.

Now though, he knew that what they felt together was for real. He knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that the pair of them belonged together. Just like Bit and Leena, and the others, did. The only thing left to do was to make it formal…

x x x x x x

Rico glared about him as he was frog marched into the Security Forces Cargo Hammerhead. With his punishment confirmed, he was being transferred to the jail where he would serve his time. He was already dreading it. It was rumoured that men like him were looked down at by the other, harder inmates…

Locked in his transit cage, he barely took any notice of the guards that sat nearby, or the rumble of the large zoid as it took off and head towards its destination. He knew that his life now, the life that he love and deserved, was over.

Blast that bitch Pierce! Her and all the others in the Blitz team! Rico's eyes narrowed in reflex as he recalled the way she had clung to that young upstart Jamie. The little squirt barely reached her shoulder for heavens sake…

He was brought out of his musings by a sudden lurch. Through the bars of his cage he saw one guard who had not belted down fly across the cabin to slam into the wall. Rico barely had time to see this when the Hammerhead lurched again, much more forcefully and in the other direction. The remaining guards were thrown from their seats. Rico remained sitting, simply because he was chained to it. But that did nothing to stop the restraints digging deep into his limbs. He gritted his teeth together against the pain.

"_Mayday, Mayday! We're going down!"_ He heard the pilot's frantic calls for help over the intercom as the Hammerheads engines died. The sudden bout of weightlessness as the craft began to plummet from the skies confirmed the pilot's message. _"Control, this is prison transport 30X92, we are going down! We have been attacked by unknown Zabat zoids. No warning. Engines are dead, flight controls unresponsive. I say again, this is prison transport 30X92, we are going down! Mayday!"_

Rico tried to brace himself as best he could, but he was hampered by the restraints again. _'Great, we're crashing and I'm tied up here in the back!'_

The crash itself was a blur of sound and violent shaking. The scream of tortured metal scraped at Rico's ears, and everything went black as the lights cut out. Every bone in Rico's body was rattled as the heavy zoid transport ploughed across the rocky plain.

Then at last all was quiet. Rico slowly lifted his head, trying to make some sense of the near darkness that had engulfed him. The Hammerhead was lying at an angle of about thirty degrees, the nose pitched down to boot. As he listened to the hiss of escaping gas and the crackle of electrical shorts, he heard another sound. The groaning of stressed metal coincided with a rocking motion, the nose dropping a little before slowly lifting again.

'_Shit! We must have ended up on the edge of a cliff!' _Rico didn't dare move, since he realised that right now the zoids balance was precarious. Any sudden shifting in weight could cause the whole zoid to tip over the edge.

The screech of stressed metal came again, but this time the exterior hatch was thrown open. The dim light outside was not much better than the darkness inside, but the torch that someone shone through blinded Rico.

"Hurry up! She could go any second!" A voice stated from outside. In response, three figures scrambled into the transport. The groans came again, and the Hammerheads nose dropped further. Rico felt the zoid shift forwards a bit through his seat. Sweating buckets, he watched as all three figures came to stand before his cage.

"Rico Belacon?" A male voice asked cold as ice.

"Yea, who wants to know?"

"Rico, right now you have two choices. One, you come with us and work for our employer, or you stay here and go over the edge with the Hammerhead."

"Oh, what's the catch?" Rico just knew that no-one would rescue his hide unless they wanted something from him.

"No time to explain kid, just choose." As if to emphasize the man's words, the Hammerhead slid a little further towards the edge, the metalwork groaning louder. "Which is it going to be?" The mans voice was razor sharp.

Rico sighed. "Doesn't look like I have much of a choice, does it? All right, get me out of here!"

As if by magic a pair of bolt croppers appeared, cutting through the lock on the cage and then the chains that held him down with ease. With haste all four of them rushed for the exit, as the Hammerhead was beginning to go over. Rico was first out, followed by first one then another of his rescuers. But just as the last one appeared in the hatchway the Hammerhead tipped forwards, rolling over onto its right flank as it fell. Rico watched in horror as he saw the once graceful flying zoid tumble down the chasm, bouncing off each cliff face as it went. The screams of tearing metal resounded in the air as the zoid was torn apart as it fell. When at last it struck the bottom the sounds reached a crescendo, while the mangled ruin of the transport crumpled up like a beer can that had been stamped on.

"Jesus…" Rico found it almost impossible to look away from the mangled ruin of the transport, but the remaining two figures bundled him away. At last he looked forwards, to see a jet black Whale King sitting before him. A set of hatches on the belly were closing, and within Rico saw the glows of several Zabat zoids, snug in their cradles. Even before the three of them had reached the top of the huge transports boarding ramp the Whale King was lifting off. Rico glance over his shoulder to watch the zoids mouth close, the lower jaw hinging upwards and locking into the head.

At last he was led into a cabin near the very top of the transports nose. A large desk sat before him, the wall behind a clear canopy out into the night. A chair sat between the desk and the wall, facing the view out. The man who had spoken to him on the Hammerhead stepped up to the side of the desk and faced Rico. Now that they were in the light, he took the chance to look him over.

What he saw was not appealing. While the man was quite short, only about five foot and wiry, he seemed more like a coiled snake than anything else. The pale red eyes set in alabaster skin and the off-white locks of hair just made him look more inhuman than anything else. Rico shivered before facing the chair.

"What am I doing here? Not that I don't appreciate being sprung from prison…"

"It's actually quite simple." A man spoke from the chair behind the desk, as it slowly turned to face him.

Altiel grinned at the shocked look on Rico's face. "How would you like to work for me, and get your revenge on the Blitz team?"

* * *

**O'Neill: **Damn, this can't be good.

**DR: **Not at all. I must thank my first beta-reader, Legendry Titian, for giving me the idea for Albane. As you'll soon see, he's a nasty peice of work...

**Kaylee: **How nasty?

**DR: **Worse than Reavers. (Kaylee shudders and goes all wide eyed in horror)

**Shadow: **That bad huh?

**DR: **Yep. Now, I'm going to look intostarting a forum here, where you can all discuss how much people change and such. Don't hold yoiur breath though. And don't forget to review!


	20. Vacation and Old Foes

**DR: **Today we have the Clouds enjoying each other (smirk), and we see some old... friends, once more. The Champs!

**Van:** No!

**Mal:** What!

**O'Neill: **Oh man...

**DR: **Come on, he's not as bad as he was before...

* * *

Chapter 20: Vacation and Old Foes

Bit yawned widely as he woke up the next day. Looking at the clock across the room, he saw that he still had a little time before he needed to get up. Grinning, he allowed his gaze to drop down to rest on the sleeping face of Leena besides him. As ever, her red hair formed a crimson halo about her head, and her face was that of an angel. Bit still had trouble realising that he was married to this beautiful woman. Oh he knew her flaws better than anyone… he had often been the one on the receiving end. Yet somehow they fitted together perfectly now.

A sigh escaped her lips as she began to awaken. Bit dropped his head to kiss her, holding his lips on hers until he could feel her respond properly. One of her hands snaked up his arm to rest on his shoulder. Slowly he pulled back to look her in the eye. As he looked once more into her violet eyes, he once again thanked what ever gods there were that he had earned this woman.

'Morning sleeping beauty."

Leena smiled in reply. She slowly raised her left leg, allowing her thigh to rub against his right leg as she did so. A mischievous look entered her eyes, one that both of them were well acquainted with.

"Leena, for a woman who doesn't want kids, you sure are keen on the means of getting them."

"Oh, I don't hear you complaining…" she began, but Bit cut her off when he rolled on top of her. Gasping in pleasure, she encircled his shoulders with her arms while spreading her legs wider. In the raising light of a new day they came together again, their bodies joined. As she felt him move within her, Leena wondered for a brief moment how she had ever lived without this.

Or how she had ever thought poorly of Bit, as her gaze rested on his flushed face above her own. Bit's emerald green eyes were wide with passion, but shining through was the love he felt for her. She reached up with one hand to slide her fingers into his hair, luxuriating in the soft locks. _'Better our kids get his than my dads…'_

Bit grinned wider as he felt her loop her leg around him, a sure sign that she was enjoying herself, and nearing release. Their combined breathing began to run ragged, as with a rush they both reached seventh heaven together. Leena's jaw hung open as bliss exploded within her, driving all breath and voice from her.

Bit allowed himself to slowly come down to rest on her, feeling her soft, undeniably feminine body underneath his. He had often in the past, before they were married, wondered and dreamed about what it would feel like to feel a woman's naked body beneath his. The reality of it blew all his fantasies clear out of the water.

For a long moment they both laid there, content in each others arms. No words were exchanged between them both as they looked into each others eyes, because no words were needed. But then the demands of their bodies began to return.

Bit sighed. "Leena, sorry but I need the little mans room…"

"I thought you already used it." She teased, and both of them laughed together. After a minute she slapped him playfully on the shoulder. "Go ahead, and take a shower while you're at it. No need to remind everyone else about the wonderful fun we have together."

Bit chuckled as he levered himself upright. "Most of them have no right to complain…" he smirked, but he quickly snagged a towel and slipped out of their cabin.

Leena sighed happily as she allowed herself to fall back onto the bunk. Bit was right, she mused as she hugged the sheets to herself.

She allowed her thoughts to drift, wondering about kids. There was no denying it, she wanted them at some point. The trouble was when. Naomi had clearly shown the hassle that having kids while being a zoid pilot was. But Leena didn't know anything else. Besides, it was something that she had always wanted.

She sighed again as her thoughts wandered. While Naomi had pulled out for the later stages of her pregnancy, the rest of the team had been forced to work that little bit harder in the battles. There had been a couple of bouts where Naomi's skills would have been greatly appreciated. Leena didn't even what to think about how the team would struggle if she pulled out.

'_It's more a case of not having my lovely zoid than me…' _But despite that she felt no ill will. It was natural that things would be looked at that way when you were dealing with zoids as powerful and picky about their pilots as Ultimate X zoids. Then a stray thought crossed her mind, causing her to frown. _'I wonder if they would allow another pilot if we asked them to…' _Bit's return from the shower interrupted her thoughts.

"Showers free." He told her, grasping the towel round his still damp form. "Grab it while you can. I know you like some privacy when you…" he trailed off, still uncomfortable at mentioning her lingering injuries. Leena understood fully. She herself didn't like to bring them up.

"Sure, thanks." She kissed him on the cheek as she shrugged into her dressing gown. Quietly padding down the corridor, she felt grateful again to the techs who had refurbished the Hover Cargo. All the corridors now had a strip of carpet down the centre, warm against her bare feet. She had not liked walking about barefoot when they were plain metal.

She found herself pausing outside first Brad and Naomi's, then Leon and Sarah's cabins as she walked past. Faintly she heard Naomi talking to her child, while there were gasps of pleasure coming from Sarah. Leena flushed pink and quickened her pace. _'Sarah sure knows how to raise the rafters, not to mention passions!'_

Tapping the door first, Leena waited until she was sure that no-one was in, before slipping through. Bolting the door behind her, she sighed as she stepped towards the shower. Her gown was quickly hung up on a peg set in the wall for that purpose, and for second she looked at herself in the full length mirror by the cubicle. While she had lost a lot of her vanity after her terrible injuries, she still liked to know that she could stack up against any other woman on the planet.

Her eyes drifted to her right thigh, the lasting region of those wounds. She hadn't changed the gel coating in a few days, and now the pale blue patch was cracking. Hardening her resolve, Leena slowly broke the seal.

When she set eyes on her old wounds, she couldn't help but gasp. The ragged tear on the inside of her thigh was gone, not a trace of it remained. As for the main wound on the outside, only a long thin whitish line running down her thigh remained. In wonder she gently ran her finger down the line, feeling the shallow trough that it marked. Considering that the wound had gone all the way through her leg, it was amazing how little remained.

She smiled in glee as she remembered the instructions she had received when she had been handed the tube of healing gel. Once the skin had closed up there was no need to apply it again. Her mood dropped for a second as she realised that she was going to carry this scar for the rest of her life, but then she shrugged, remembering how it had been when she had first got the wound.

Stepping into the shower, she turned the water on gently. As she had thought, the water came through still warm from Bit's earlier shower. As she stood beneath the streaming water for a second, allowing it to caress her skin, Leena thought again about it. _'No, considering that I could have completely lost my leg, not to mention my life, one scar is not so much to pay.'_

x x x x x x

Several hours later the Hover Cargo moved away from the battle site, pacing the Whale King that belonged to the other team. Bit's blood was still afire from the battle. Everyone could see it in the way he sat, his eye's dancing.

Vega could understand Bit's excitement. This battle had been the closest yet. While the other teams had experience, the Blitz had up till now been something of an unknown. But the others were starting to find ways to counter them. Today the battle had been intense, and for a while it had hung in the balance. Both teams had torn into each other with a vengeance, neither side quitting. But in the end the combined power of their Ultimate X zoids had pulled them through.

True most of the zoids were going to need a lot of repairs. The Iguanosaur had a bad limp and its main turret was frozen in place, while three of Liger Zero's Schneider laser blades were broken. The Fury had a dislocated jaw, while the Blade Liger, Shadow Fox and Snipe Master were all frozen up. The Elephander had still been standing, though its weapons had been shot off.

But all that was put out of mind by the Blitz, as they followed the 'Chaos' team towards a costal village, where according to the Chaos Team's leader one could find the best white sandy beach, and eat the best barbequed food on Zi.

After a half hour the transports arrived, dominating the landscape and dwarfing the small fishing village. Despite the noise of arrival and the bulk of the team's transports, the locals were more than happy to receive them. They had heard the distant sounds of battle, and it turned out that the Chaos team often came round. Even now a month after the events of the Great Siege as it was known the Blitz was still treated like heroes.

While Steve remained sat at the table within the beachside restaurant with the older members of the Chaos team, the rest of the Blitz were out on the pure sands, basking in the sun. While being zoid pilots allowed plenty of free time, there was nothing like having a true day out.

Vega, like the others, sat on a towel while eating his barbequed fish and chicken with his fingers. As he ate, he looked around at the others. Closest to him were Leon and Sarah, feeding each other bits of food. Vega, along with everyone else, had been stunned when Sarah had emerged wearing a very respectable one piece bathing suit, blue naturally. It fitted her tall, slim form perfectly, though there was a slight bugle above her hips. Vega hadn't even known that she had that!

Pierce and Jamie, along with Bit and Leena, were currently playing a game of beach volleyball with four members of the Chaos team. Pierce as usual had that ultra thin transparent shirt on over her swimsuit, and he could see how Jamie kept glancing at her when he could. Leena's right thigh was blaringly pale, but then that was to be expected. And to be honest her skin had always been quite pale anyway.

Slightly further back Brad was laying on his back, soaking up the sun, while watching Naomi play with their daughter, her own dark red bikini matching her hair. Little Janet appeared to having the time of her life. Stroller was a bit further a field, and like Brad was simply soaking up the sun. _'He needs it.'_ Vega smirked.

Even the liger Angel was out in the sun, lying flopped down on some sun warmed stones near Steve. The sunlight caused her tawny fur to almost glow in the light. She was spark out after having stuffed herself on the scraps of fish and chicken that the chefs had brought out for her. Considering the amount of meat that had been prepared for the two teams there had been quite a bit left over.

As his gaze wandered about, he noticed a pair of shadows approaching the beach on the water. He frowned as he saw the water part to reveal the backs of two yellow War Sharks, which both slowed up before gently sliding their heads onto the sandy beach a short way down.

"Those look familiar…" Vega heard Bit's voice behind him, and he turned to see him and Leena standing there, their eyes locked on the zoids with a frown. Vega turned his head back to see two people climb out of the zoids. One was clearly male and wore a horrid green shirt with red patches, while the female wore a conservative one-piece yellow bathing suit and a broad hat. Behind him Leena gasped.

"I know that shirt anywhere! It's Harry and Mary Champ!" Her raised voice drew the attention of all the Blitz team, with the exception of Stroller who was too far away to hear her. Not that he would have cared had he heard her.

Slowly the Champs walked over, till they stood across from Bit and Leena. Vega could feel the tension in the air, sat between the two pairs as he was. Harry Champ had a pained look on his face, while Mary looked apprehensive. There was still bad blood between Harry and the Clouds.

"Bit, Leena, nice to see you again." Mary began, clearly trying to put on a brave face. "What brings you here?"

"Oh, you know, a little day out. Nothing much." Bit deadpanned. "Plus the good food."

"Yes, the locals here do know how to cook their fish." Harry commented.

"Yes they do."

For a moment there was an awkward silence between them, Vega turning his head back and forth. The sound of an approaching Whale King broke the pause.

"Ah, there they are." Mary said as she looked over her shoulder. "Come on Harry, we've got to go. Don't want to miss your return to zoid battling."

"You serious?" Bit asked his eyes wide. "You're returning to zoid battling?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. We decided that it would be the best thing for me."

"Well, good luck." Leena said quietly. At last his eyes went to her face. For a moment he stood like that, before he inclined his head and turned away.

"Thanks." Mary said relief in her voice.

x x x x x x

As they waited for the judge to arrive from orbit a couple of hours later, Harry tried to pull himself together. Despite everything that had happened since that night, it still hurt to see Leena. He had seen the pain and fear in her eyes, and it caused him terrible heartache. He knew now that he had been deluded, crazy, out of his mind. But he still felt responsible. _'I should have controlled myself…'_

"Harry, it's not your fault." Mary called from her own zoid. Harry looked up at the face of his sister, at her concerned face. Ever since that night she had practically taken over his care, almost waiting on him hand and foot. She had moved in with him, organising his whole life.

Surprisingly enough, she had not dominated him, nor had she imposed her will on him. These last few months had shown a completely different side to his sister that he had never seen. He still had trouble understanding why she helped him, since her had hurt her as badly as he had hurt Leena, perhaps worse since she was his sister. She always said that it was because of that bond that she helped him. What kind of sister would she be if she abandoned her little brother when he needed her?

"You're going to have to move on at some point." Mary continued to speak to him, not condescending as she might have, but gently.

"I'm trying Sis, but it's hard."

"Nothing easy is worth having Harry. Just remember I'll be here for you."

A smile formed on his lips. "You're the best sis." Mary just smiled as with a roar the Judge arrived.

While the Judge capsule retracted from its impact crater, Harry looked across the broken ground to where their opponents were. He watched as the three Stealth Viper heads wavered, waiting. Today was the first outing of the new 'Champs' team. With Mary in prime control of the team, it was unlikely that things would go badly wrong.

"**The surrounding thirty mile radius is now a designated Zoid battlefield. Only competitors and support personal are allowed entry. Danger!" **The Judge began, and Harry felt his blood begin to quicken. The old adrenaline rush was back.

"**The Champs Team Vs the Vipers Team, Battle mode 0982. Ready…"**

Suddenly a blindingly bright beam of light stabbed across the plain to strike the judge square on. Even as Harry threw up his arm to cover his eyes, he felt a cold hunk of ice settle in his gut. He knew what that was…

"What the hell was that?" Mary screeched. For a second Harry was too stunned to reply. He had never heard his prim and proper older sister swear before.

"That was a charged particle cannon." He told her, a shiver running up his spine as he recalled his all too near brush with such weapons. He looked across at the smoking crater that used to be the judge… and the long scar in the ground behind it.

"Now that he's out of the way…" A cold, cruel voice came over the comm. system. Harry snapped his eyes to the right, from were the particle beam had come from. Standing on the lip of a ridge was a zoid, too far away for him to identify at this range. Toggling the zoom, his Iron Kong flashed up an image of the zoid. When he saw it Harry felt his blood run cold.

"Wha… what is that?" Mary asked, fear running rampant in her voice.

The Genosaurer standing there was jet black, the underlying sections a deep brooding red. The eyes burned with bale fire. The forehead weapons had been radically altered. Instead of the long laser barrels there were four blade like objects, forming a cross that projected from the zoids forehead. The claws on the zoids forelimbs and feet looked much sharper than normal, and someone had decided to add splashes of red paint around the jaws, giving the impression that the zoid had only just made akill.

As six Rev Raptors stepped up to flank the dread zoid that voice came across the net again. "This battle has now been taken over by the Backdraft Group!" The Genosaurer roared in counterpoint, the sound curdling Harry's guts.

* * *

**DR: **Back with a bang! Things have really hit the fan now...

**O'Neill: **Ya think?


	21. Dispatches and Questioning

**DR: **Okay, we havew here another 'dark' chapter. Things continue to slide downwards...

**Jayne: **How bad could it get?

**DR: **Very...

* * *

Chapter 21: Dispatches and Questioning

Cassandra Cortez rubbed her forehead, trying to ease the ache that had started almost the instant she learned about the theft of the Genosaurer. When the convoy had failed to arrive, a team had been sent out to find them. What they found had chilled them all to the bone.

Cassie doubted that she would ever forget what she had seen. The Republican Shield Liger, half buried under a rock fall, the cockpit crushed to a pulp. The line of bodies, a dozen men in all, all shot in the base of the skull from behind. They weren't killed in combat. They had been murdered.

Now someone had to pay the price. And at the moment it looked like she was going to be the fall person. As part of the training program she had devised to teach the Imperial Army how to fight the Cybrids, she had requested that a second Genosaurer be set to the training facility. Her plan had been to show how the shields on a Cybrid could withstand even the combined firepower of two Genosaurer charged particle cannons.

But now… she recalled the message she had gotten from Christian, warning her to be alert for attempts to steal Imperial zoids and munitions. But she had never thought that they would dare strike so soon, or so deep in Imperial territory!

"You couldn't have know Cass."

Cassie whipped her head round to face General Boyd. His face was glum and pained. Standing up to salute him, Cassie saw herself reflected in one window, and she nearly gasped when she realised the dishevelled, rag haired woman in the reflection was her.

Boyd waved her down. "Relax Captain. You look about how I feel."

"In that case I don't really think I want to know how you feel sir."

"Captain, I was the one who ordered the transfer. You only sent your recommendation to me. I was the one who acted on it." Boyd told her as he sat down across the desk from her. "However it's because that recommendation came from you that things are hot."

Cassie's face dropped. "Because I'm a young woman." She commented in frustration. She was fed up with being discriminated against because of her sex!

"That's only part of it." Boyd corrected her. "Cassie, you don't realise just how delicate things are right now within the Army. Quite a few old timers are upset with the Emperor for him rendering aid to people who they didn't know about until after the event." Boyd turned to gaze out of the window where a batch of cadets were heading off for another training run. "It's another thing on top of all the rest."

Cassie looked up, her curiosity piqued. "Another?"

Boyd sighed. "Quite a few of the Old Guard, those brought up on the tales of the last war, have never been behind the Emperor and his drive to cut back military spending. Their backed by quite a few of the older imperial families, those who lost sons to that war."

Boyd looked at her again, an apology in his eyes. "You're a rising star in the Army Cassandra. Your name is spoken of a lot in the Imperial Court. The Emperor considers you one of his best people." Cassie felt her heart fill with pride at that, and she found herself sitting up a little straighter.

"But it has made you a target for those who don't like the Emperor and his ways. Others just don't like the fact that you're a woman, younger than they are. They don't care about the fact that you're far more skilled then them. To that type of person seniority is more important."

"I didn't ask to be put on a pedestal." Cassie stated, snorting.

"No, but others have done so anyway. And to some people that's a challenge. I don't have to tell you that there was a lot of competition for your job. It's a plum assignment, affecting the thinking of the next generation of our fighting men and women. Majors, Commanders, even a couple of Generals were putting in for your desk. But they were all turned down by the Emperor, and instead you got it."

Cassie would have been rocked back on her heals, had she been standing. She had never known how much her current assignment was wanted.

"That action has angered a lot of our older pilots, and now things are getting sticky." Boyd leaned forward to plant his elbows on her desk. "We need to get that Genosaurer back."

Cassie sighed in frustration. "Well that may be a bit hard right now. No one in that convoy survived to give us any leads. All we can tell is what kind of zoids were used."

A sickened expression flashed across Boyd's face. "Yes, I'd heard about what you'd found." Killing in combat was one thing, but to kill a defenceless foe in cold blood… Not even Raven the Destroyer had been that cruel. The blood of many a solider was on his hands, but he had never deliberately killed the pilots.

"However, I do have a lead for you." Cassie looked up at him curiously. "A ZBC battle was about to start when the Judge was destroyed. By the time someone got there, both the teams had been left out to die, their zoids ruined or taken. It appears that the Judge was destroyed by a charged particle cannon strike."

Cassie's eyes narrowed. The judge destroyed, teams zoids stolen, Christian's message… it was all adding up.

"Sir, I think I know who did that, with our stolen Genosaurer. But I can't prove anything right now."

"Well Captain, right now that's all we have. Which is why I'm to give you these orders, direct from the Emperor." Unconsciously they both straightened up at the mention of his majesty

"Captain Cortez, your new assignment is to track down and recover our stolen property. You are authorised to use any and all means to achieve this. If it turns out to be impossible to recover the stolen zoid, then you are to destroy it to prevent anyone abusing its power." Cassie nodded, fully understanding that part of the order.

"Any intel we gather will be forwarded to you, but you are to consider yourself a free agent, outside the normal chain of command. For the duration of this assignment you'll report to the Emperor only. You will be provided with transportation to Europa, but after that you're on your own. Feel free to work with whoever you trust to aid in your goals."

Cassie's eye widened as she took in the amount of trust that had been placed on her shoulders. She was basically given free rein to do whatever she felt necessary to achieve her goals. It was hell of a lot of trust. "I'll… try to live up to your expectations sir."

At last Boyd smiled. "I know you will captain."

"May I ask where I'm heading to first?"

Boyd continued to smile, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "To the team who alerted the ZBC, and thereby us, of the situation. They're some old friends of yours. The Blitz Team."

x x x x x x

The mood in the Blitz base was very quiet, far quieter than normal. Nearly the whole team sat around the couches, fear running through their veins.

"It's happening again…" Leena whimpered from within Bit's arms, trembling with fear.

Across from the Clouds Naomi clung to her daughter so tightly she had to make a conscious effort not to crush her. Brad had his arms round her, his expression worried.

Outwardly Stoller showed no reaction, but inside he was scared. Something he had rarely experienced and he did not like feeling it again.

Heads came up as Sarah stepped down into the circle. "They're fine for the moment. But they will need to be transferred to a proper hospital…"

The Blitz had been heading home when the Hover Cargo had detected a faint distress call. When they had arrived a few minutes later, they had been horrified at the level of destruction. The burning hulk of a Whale King dominated the area, but it was by no means the only wreck. Two Iron Kongs were slumped, both having been flayed apart in a manner the Blitz were uncomfortable familiar with. There were fragments that suggested that there had been a third Kong in the area. Across the field three Stealth Vipers lay dead, one broken in two.

Only three pilots had been recovered alive. Now Harry and Mary Champ, along with a single pilot from the Vipers team, lay in the Blitz team's medical room, suffering from a range of injuries. Both Harry and Mary showed the same signs of having been hit with an ELF, a weapon that had been exclusively used by the Cybrids.

Even worse, there were signs that a charged particle cannon had been used. The question on everyone's mind was had the Cybrids developed their own versions of those deadly zoid weapons.

Stoller looked up when the beeping of the computer became too insistent. Taking in the display at a glance, he then looked about the rest of the team. Bit and Leena were still in each others arms, while Naomi seemed to be fixated on her child. Leon and Sarah clung to one another, and even Pierce and Jamie were oblivious to everything but each other. Steve was looking lost and Vega… Stoller found himself shocked when he saw the look in the young mans eyes.

Fear. The young man who was once known as the 'King of Unsanctioned Battles', feared no zoid or pilot, was afraid!

Seeing how everyone else was currently occupied, Stoller pulled himself up to greet the guests that were approaching.

As he strode through the hanger, he wondered who could be calling. The ZBC were supposed to be sending a medical team to transfer the Champs and Viper Pilot to a proper medical facility, but then again they were concentrating on finding the attackers. Reporters? Stroller hoped not, since those that showed up this quickly tended to be the bad sort…

As he stepped out into the crisp air, Stoller scanned the skies for the approaching craft. Quickly his trained and experienced eyes found the approaching Hammerhead, and for the next few minutes he watched as the small transport zoid came in. _'Hmm, their really pushing that zoid flat out. Wonder why their in such a hurry…'_

It was only as the Hammerhead slowed into a hover that Stoller could ID the owners. His eyes narrowed at the distinctive rampart dragon of the Guylos Empire. '_Now why would the Empire be calling us?'_

Arms folded, he watched as the transport settled down. His eyebrow rose when he saw the lower ramp drop, while the engines remained active. _'Clearly a drop and g…'_

His thoughts came to a shuddering stop when he saw a massively clawed zoid foot encased in blood red armour step onto the ramp. Quickly the red Genosaurer moved down onto the ground, and even before the zoid was clear of the underbelly of the Hammerhead the ramp was already rising. The Transport left as rapidly as it had arrived, leaving Stroller face to face with Captain Cortez's Genosaurer.

He heard the click of the zoids external speakers as the head angled down slightly to look at him. "Stigma Stoller?"

"Yes?" He yelled back.

"Could you open the hanger doors for me?"

Mumbling under his breath about arrogant Imperial Army captains and one female captain in particular, Stoller opened the hanger. Cortez brought her zoid inside as if she owned the place, her every move watched by the three Ultimate X zoids at the other end. All three had been quiet since the discovery of the Champs.

With a hiss, Cortez's Genosaurer settled into position as the cockpit cover opened up. As she rode down, Stroller tried to compose himself. After all, when they had last seen each other they had parted quite amicably.

"So, what brings you to our neck of the woods?" Stoller asked as she stepped down from the pilot's seat. Her eyes rose to meet his, and once again Stoller felt something pass through him. He had never been able to pin down just what it was about Cortez that caused these… flushes, but since they had parted at the city he had paid them no mind. Now though they came back.

Cassie looked into his eyes for a moment before replying. "It's about what you guy's found."

"You mean the destroyed zoids?"

"Yes. I've reason to believe a stolen Imperial Genosaurer may be responsible. I've been sent out to bring it back."

Stroller took in the determined way she stood before him, and realised that she had every intention of doing just that, no matter what it took to do so.

"Well, that would explain the particle damage… but you should know, there was something else…"

One smoky grey eyebrow rose. "Oh?"

"Two of the zoids we found were flayed apart." Stroller said grimly.

Both of her eyebrows rose this time, and her sea-green eyes widened noticeably. "ELF's?" Cassie asked a sudden coil of dread in her guts.

Stroller just nodded in response.

They both stood there for a long moment, allowing the possible ramifications to sink in. "That why it's just you out here to greet me?"

Stoller nodded again. "Uh huh. The others are still inside. It's affecting them badly."

"I can imagine." Again they both lapsed into silence. As the pause dragged on, Stoller found himself looking Cassandra over without realising it. About five eight, with a trim, athletic figure that could have been the model used for the Imperial uniform she wore. Her dark smoky grey hair was tied back in a severe hairstyle that somehow suited her. Large, half-lidded eyes peered out from a face of smooth skin. A little lacking in womanly features when compared to the others he was around all the time but…

'_What the heck am I doing?' _Stoller pulled himself up short. _'Why on Zi am I thinking that?'_

Unbeknown to him Cassandra had been thinking similar thoughts about him. She had found her eyes wandering across his form slowly, subtly. Tall but slender, She reckoned him to be about six one tall. A strong jaw line and pale grey hair framed a rugged face. As ever, he had a cynical look in his eyes. Despite getting on a bit in years, he still clearly kept himself in shape… Cassie shook herself internally.

'_Cass, focus on your mission! You're hunting a stolen Genosaurer, which might have Cybrid backup! Now is not the time to be day-dreaming!'_

"So…" She began before drifting off.

"So…?" Stroller asked an eyebrow rising.

"So… are you going to lead me inside, or are we going to just stand here all day?"

Stoller sighed before turning towards the rear of the bay. The three Ultimate X zoids watched them both as they stepped into the main base.

**#Somehow I get the feeling that those two are going to get closer…# **The Liger Zero growled gently.

**#No doubt about it!# **The Fury commented, eyeing the red Genosaurer carefully.

**#It is almost certain. Thing is will they recognise that spark within themselves?# **The Iguanosaur rumbled, a note of resignation in her voice.

x x x x x x

Altiel smirked as he looked over the results of the new Backdrafts first match. The use of a Cybrid weapon on the Genosaurer had worked, despite some long odds against it. Already techs were working to understand all their weapons, while the best programmers money could buy were toiling away to crack the command codes and AI's of the Cybrids themselves. Stripping them of weapons was one thing, but if they could field those units complete…

"You have any other tasks for me Altiel?" Albane's quite unexpected cold and cruel voice caused Altiel to not only start but also sent a shiver up his spine. As he turned to face the white haired man, Altiel wasn't sure if his chills were worse than other peoples since he knew what Albane got up to…

"Yes actually I do. I've heard rumours that the Imperials have been doing some studies into a new zoid type they recently discovered. From what my sources say, they think it might be something that could easily counter the Cybrids." Albane's only reaction to that was one eyebrow arched above one of his red eyes.

"Albane, we can't afford to allow the Imperials to develop a zoid that could counter our Cybrids. The Republicans and the ZBC are also developing counters, but they are still only just starting. If this zoid truly lives up to expectations… then we may never be able to take control of Zi. I need you to find and put a stop to this research. And make sure that they can't restart it."

"It shall be done." Albane asked without batting an eyelid. He turned and strode away as quietly as he had entered. Altiel stared after him for a long moment before he sat down and pulled a whiskey bottle from a lower draw.

"God he makes me nervous…" he breathed as he slopped a large drink into a glass.

Down the hall, Albane only allowed a small smirk to get past his iron guard. _'So the Imperials are once again messing around with a zoid type that they know nothing about? Well, someone needs to show them how it's really done…'_

As he climbed into his personal Zabat, Albane continued to ponder his latest assignment. _'Obviously they'll do such research in a well hidden base, but they'll need quick and easy access to Cybrids. So I'll need to get my hands on someone who knows about such things…'_

Now safely locked away inside his zoid Albane allowed his emotional safeguards to drop, and he laughed manically as the stealth zoid flew away, his thoughts centred on the tools he used that were stored in the modified Zabats cargo bay….

* * *

**Wash: **Anyone else get the creeps when that guy shows up?

**Shadow: **I think that's the point...

**Teal'c: **Indeed.

**DR: **Well, that's all for now. Next time life continues... Don't forget to review!


	22. Dark News

**DR: **Okay, this chapter is going to get really nasty. All those of a nervous disposistion, best look away now...

**Mal: **That includes you Kaylee

**Kaylee: **Why? I'm comfey here... (snuggles deeper into Simons chest)

**DR: **Trust me, you don't want to see this next bit... besides, I think Inara, Sam and Fiona are back from their shopping trip...

**Kaylee: **Really? (dashs out)

**DR: **I must thank my first eta-reader Legendary-Titan for his added bit in the second part of this chapter. Increases the... well you'll find out. I've also thrown in a little tribute to _'Firefly'_...

* * *

Chapter 22: Dark News

Over the next few weeks, Cassie wandered almost the length and breadth of Europa, hunting for the missing Genosaurer. The Blitz and Raiders also kept their eyes open, watching. Cassie often stopped over with each team, staying just long enough to replenish her supplies before heading out again.

However, it was quickly noted amongst the other pilots that there was something going on between her and Stroller. Outwardly there was nothing, and they both acted casual around each other. But the Blitz, particularly Sarah and Pierce, noted the subtle changes that came over him whenever she called round. And Derek had known her since childhood. He could tell that she was repressing feelings for the older man.

To her credit, she was very effective at dealing with any troublemakers she encountered. Three bandit gangs were locked away after she had dealt with them, and several times she reached a battle site just as the Backdraft were taking over. After the first time the Backdraft pilots ran as soon as they sighted her zoid, the crimson armour glowing in the harsh sun like liquid fire.

But despite her best efforts, the stolen Genosaurer continued to elude her. And the Backdraft became more daring in its attacks and raids. The first of the replacement judge satellites was destroyed as it was lifted into orbit, the launch rocket struck with a multitude of weapons fire. The explosion wrecked the launching facilities and put the planed deployment of the new judge network back months.

There were more raids in both Imperial and Republic territory, striking at arms dumps and convoys. In every case the result was the same: no survivors. The Backdraft had changed, becoming a guerrilla army, and it was slowly sapping the military might of the great powers.

But even with the rising spectre of the Backdraft, life had to go on. Battles had to be fought, bills paid and bellies filled. For the Blitz things returned to a semblance of normal, or at least as 'normal' as things got around the Blitz. On the surface everyone was their old selves. Bit and Leena continued to play their 'cookie thief' games, though now they finished things in their bedroom. Naomi and Brad doted on their daughter, who seemed to be growing at rate more suited to a zoid than a human. Leon and Vega had become avid chess players, and they would spend hours playing each other, Sarah on the sidelines watching them both. Pierce could usually be found sunning herself by the fish pool, while Jamie and Stroller could discuss tactics and team line ups for hours.

But under the surface every member of the team felt a small coil of dread. While it was true the Backdraft had been avoiding them like the plague, they all just knew that at some point they would come for them. There was too much bad blood between the Blitz and the Backdraft for things to be left alone.

x x x x x x

Albane sighed as he looked down at the Imperial General. It had been all too easy to find the man he needed to question, while the kidnapping itself was so simple that he could have done the whole thing with his eyes closed.

Now the general sat bound to a chair, his shirt torn away. In the weak light from the single bulb that hung from the ceiling, the thin streaks of blood that criss-crossed his chest glistened. His head hung forward, sweat dripping from his forehead. The fingers of each hand that were clasped in the teeth of the electrodes Albane had hooked up to him were blackened. Several were at odd angles, and all were missing their nails. Albane had yanked the nails out during the first round of questions, and he started breaking fingers when the General spat on him.

"Now I will ask you again…" Albane said coldly, casually playing with a viscously hooked implement. "What do you know about the Empires research into a new zoid type that could counter Cybrids?"

The general seemed to draw in his breath before he looked up at Albane. In the weak light he had never been able to see his torturers face, but he didn't want to give him the satisfaction of having made him too weak to glare back. "I won't tell… you… anything." He gasped out, pain filling every syllable.

"Wrong answer." Albane simply said, before he plunged the tool he held into the generals chest. Even as the man screamed in pain as his lung was punctured, Albane brought his other arm around and used the spiked knuckleduster to punch a bleeding hole through his cheek. Albane stepped back, leaving the barbed tool buried in the general, along with the other metal implements he had stuck in him.

"I grow tired of this." Albane commented as he turned slightly away from the man. Truth be told he was actually enjoying every moment of it. Letting the knuckleduster slid from his hand, he trailed his fingers along the rows of blades and other deadly tools that he had yet to use. Smiling cruelly, he gently slid a syringe from its pouch while twiddling with a dial to the side. The general shuddered as jolts of electrical current coursed through him.

"General, my patience wears thin indeed. I'm not going to ask politely again." Swiftly, Albane slid the needle into the Generals arm and pressed the plunger just a little. The general's screams echoed throughout the dank chamber as his vein felt as if it was on fire.

"One more wrong answer and I'll inject the whole lot into you. Do you really want to find out how it feels to be eaten away by acid from within? If not, you had better tell me what I want to know."

The general's shoulders slumped, and his head hung weakly. "All right…" he whispered. "I'll tell you…"

"Good boy." Albane told him as he took his thumb off the plunger. He left the syringe in the man's arm though.

"We found… this dead zoid in… one of the nearby ruins. Never… seen anything like it… before. Research suggests an… offshoot of the… Genosaurer breed." Albane's ears picked up at that little titbit. "From what we've gathered… this one is more… defensively orientated than the… Genosaurer. Uses… electronic warfare rather than… brute force."

As the general continued to talk, Albane's grin grew wider. This sounded like just the sort of zoid he had dreamed of! The power of a Genosaurer, but used in a much more subtle and controlled way. A zoid that could cripple a hostile zoid with ease, and then take them apart bit by bit.

"Did you manage to clone this zoid?" Albane was barely able to keep his excitement from showing.

"Ay… we did. It's not ready yet… still needs… secondary weapons and armour… but the main weaponry is there…"

"Where is it?"

"Research centre… right at the back of the… 'Valley of Hero's' training base. Highest… security."

"And the name?"

The general was silent for a second.

"Dark Spiner." He whispered.

Albane nodded, then quick as a flash his thumb forced the plunger down all the way. The general's eye widened as he felt the acid begin to burn away at him.

"But… you said…"

"I don't remember saying that you'll walk away from here." Albane smiled cruelly as he removed the needle. Already the skin around the puncture mark was discoloured, and the patch was spreading. The look of horror on the general's face was pleasing to him.

"Now, since you've been so helpful, I'm going to give you a chance." Albane told him as he picked up a last device from the table. After fiddling with the end for a few seconds, he dropped the squat cylinder in the general's lap. Even under the incredible pain of feeling the acid burning away at the inside of his blood vessels, he had enough sense of mind to recognise the incendiary grenade.

The general turned wide fearful eyes up towards Albane. "Once the acid reaches your brain or heart, you'll be dead within twenty seconds. It is one of the most painful ways to die. If you're lucky, the grenade will go off before that happens." And with that Albane stepped back, away from the general.

For several long seconds the man sat there trying to dislodge the live grenade in his lap, while the blood vessels in his upper body slowly turned black. The area of his arm where Albane had injected him was beginning to disintegrate, the bones showing through the patchy skin, when the grenade went off.

With a white glare the general was instantly turned to fire. His screams were drowned out by the roar of the flames as they eagerly consumed his body. Several feet away, Albane watched passionlessly as he slowly stilled, the only motion the dancing of the flames. He looked down at his watch, one white eyebrow rising.

"Hmm, thirty-two seconds. A new record." Chuckling to himself, Albane began to gather his equipment up. Slipping on a pair of fireproof gloves he approached the burning body. One by one he pulled out his tools, sparks flying as he did so. Quickly and professionally he slid them all free, each one spotless. The heat of the flames had burnt away any remains of the general.

Once he was done, Albane flipped a salute to the dead man, before he left the smoking remains of General Boyd in darkness.

x x x x x x

Cassie felt her head nodding forwards as she approached the Blitz base. After several long nights hunting, she was about ready to crash. The rumble of her zoids ion engines was surprisingly soothing, and with the night sky so dark it was very easy to find oneself slipping into sleep…

With shear force of will she kept her eyes open, maintaining her grip on the zoids controls. Although it was well known that a zoid whose pilot fell asleep at the controls would slow down, even stop if the autopilot was not engaged, Cassie knew that the Genosaurer was different in that it would never stop. The Genosaurer was a killer, uncontrollable power seething just beneath the skin. To let one loose was considered almost taboo.

She sighed with relief when the glow of the Blitz base's lights showed around a ridge. It had been a couple of weeks since she had last stopped over at either teams base, and her spine was complaining something fierce about the cramped conditions she had been forced to sleep in. The chance for a real bed, a shower… Despite her best efforts, Cassie knew that by now the the inside of the zoids cockpit would be rank.

Tapping in her guest code into her comm system, Cassie watched as the hanger doors opened smoothly. Cutting out the booster engines, she allowed the zoid to walk the last little way into the hanger. As she crossed the threshold, her gaze swept the hanger methodically and professionally, despite her tiredness. All the Blitz Teams zoids were snug in their own alcoves, their metal skins gleaming in the overhead lights. Despite having a battle not two days ago, none of the zoids showed any signs of damage.

As she rode the chair down from her zoids chest, Cassie got that niggling feeling of being watched. Every time she set foot in the Blitz hanger she felt this way. Tipping her head back, she looked across the bay to the three Ultimate X zoids across the bay. Cold blue, burning orange and warm ochre eyes looked back. Laughing quietly to herself, Cassie strode towards the rear of the hanger, towards the living areas.

Pushing open the door, she was met by a wall of laughter and the tinkling of glass. Looking to her right, she saw that the Blitz were all sat down together at the table, clearly enjoying an evening of drink and merriment. In that moment, Cassie was struck by the sight of them. The lights were turned low and instead the gathered pilot's faces were bathed in candlelight.

At the head of the table sat Doc Toros, his broad jawed face split wide with a grin. To his left was Dr Layon, who was also laughing his head off, while on the other side Oscar Hemeros sat with his head in his hands. His son Jamie was next to him, his jaw hanging as he stared at him. Pierce was besides him, her face twisted with amusement. Ranged around the table were the others, all paired up with their loves.

"…I mean, you'll never meet a man who'll love anything more than he loved that moustache…" Steve was saying.

"It was all waxed up… and at least out to here!" Layon held his hands up each side of his cheeks as he managed to say around his laughter.

"And he kept on going on about how we young newcomers knew nothing and would never amount to anything…" Steve picked up the tale again. "…So one night after a campus party, old Doc Shepard is passed out in his chair, and I mean he was plastered. The three of us together couldn't move him… So Oscar here…" Steve slapped Oscar on the shoulders as he cracks up again. "…He takes up a pair of scissors, and he cuts that moustache right off!"

Everyone round the table broke out laughing, except for Jamie who just looked stunned speechless.

"Course, next morning he wakes up to find it gone. But he can't just go to the principle and say 'Someone stole my moustache!' so he calls out all the first year pupils and has them all line up outside the hanger…"

"We thought he was going to take a zoid to us all!" Layon interjected.

"So there he is, walking up and down the lines, giving each one of us 'the eye'…" Steve leaned forward and tilted his head to one side, clearly sending up the old zoid professor. "And then… he gets to Oscar… who's wearing that blasted moustache!"

The laughter that resounded from the table was even louder that before. Leena rocked back in her chair, holding herself across the waist while laughing, her booted feet flailing under the table. Naomi was staring at the three older men in shocked amazement, while Vega was grinning like an idiot. Even Stroller was smirking in amusement.

For a second Cassie allowed her eyes to rest on Stroller. The candlelight lit all of them in a warm glow, but Cassie only really saw the effect on him. The harsh angles of his face were softened, his sharp jaw line rounded. His steely grey hair took on an orange tint from the light. Reflected candle flames twinkled in his eyes, and his face was no longer that of a stone-cold warrior, but just a man. A mature, wise man.

For a second Cassie thought about joining them, but a twinge from her spine put a wince on her face. Turning silently, she started up the stairs to the sleeping level. As she climbed up she allowed the next few words to wash over her.

"He had glued the damn thing on!" Layon told the others, barely heard over the laughter.

"So what did the professor do?" Sarah's voice was full of good cheer and curiosity.

"Well, he…" the rest of Steve's reply was lost as Cassie turned onto the corridor and started down the hall. As she walked past first Leon and Sarah's, then Bit and Leena's rooms, all the muscles in her legs and back began to make themselves known with aches and dull throbs. Cassie exhaled in relief when she reached the room she used when at the Blitz. It had been Jamie's before he and Pierce moved together into Bit's old room.

As she allowed her bag to slide off her shoulder onto the bed, Cassie sank gratefully into the chair before the terminal. Always professional, she decided to check to see if there were any updates for her on the Guylos side. Keying in her password and codes, she sat back and waited for the data to be transferred. It was a long shot, but sometimes…

The terminal pinged before she had even had a chance to get comfortable. Sitting up straight, she looked at the single message displayed, a cold hunk of ice settling in her gut as she did so.

'_Call the Emperor direct, ASAP.'_

With trembling hands, Cassie keyed in the code she had hoped she would never have to use… the code that would give her a direct line to the Emperor regards of time or his schedule.

Within a minute she was connected, and she found herself out of habit straightening herself when the Emperor appeared on screen, despite his informal appearance.

"I'm sorry sir if I awoke you, but the message…"

"Called for you to contact me ASAP, I know. I sent it." The Emperor's face seemed filled with remorse, and the ice in Cassie's belly began to spread up to her heart.

"Captain Cortez, I regret to inform you of the death of General Boyd."

For a long moment Cassie felt that her heart had stopped. General Boyd had taken her under his wing and protected her from the worst of the dangers during her first few years with the army. Even after she had proved herself to the other officers and generals he had still been her champion…

"H…How?" She almost didn't recognise her own voice.

"We're not sure exactly how he died. He was ID'd from dental records." In the Emperor's eyes she could see the horror and pain that he felt. "But one thing is clear. He was tortured before dying."

Cassie just nodded, her voice gone.

"Shortly before our men discovered his body, someone broke into the high security wing of the training base that General Boyd ran. Where our Anti-Cybrid project was being kept."

"How… How bad?" Cassie only just managed to whisper.

"Researchers dead, all data destroyed. This guy is a pro. He took our only working prototype, and burned down half the base before he escaped. Two thirds of the forces there, including the trainees, are dead."

Cassie's heart ran cold and her eyes narrowed. Deep within her gut she could feel the rage building. "Anything to go on as to who did this sir?"

The Emperor shook his head slowly. "All we have is this." He pressed a button off screen. His face was replaced by a security feed, clearly from within the base. The doors burst open and a man stepped through, already shooting. His first two shots were high, and then his gun moved to point at the camera. The display dissolved into static. The entire clip was only about two seconds long.

"We only got that much because there were three cameras in that chamber." The Emperor said as his face returned, looking downright crestfallen. "I'm sorry Cass; I know the two of you were close…"

"I understand sir. Thank you for informing me personally. Could you send me the recording?"

"On its way now." The Emperor nodded to someone off screen. "I hope you'll glean something from it. Good luck captain."

After the screen went black Cassie sat there, ever so quietly. Then she ran the recording again and again, watching the moves of this mystery killer and thief. After the tenth run, she ran it frame by frame until she reached the point when the man was sighting at the camera. Freezing the feed, she began to zoom in until she had the man's face filling the screen. As the hardcopy was printed, she locked eyes with the man in the frame, his eyes glaring out over the sleek gun he held.

"Your ass is mine…" She growled out, her voice filled with rage as she looked over the features of a reincarnated Guther Prozen, the Arch Betrayer of the Guylos Empire.

* * *

**Jayne: **...

**O'neill: **Ouch.

**DR: **I did warn you guys. Next chapter things hit their lowest, and something really nasty happens... All I ask is that you have faith in me! And don't forget to review!


	23. Night Prowlers

**DR: **Okay, this chapters going to be nasty... but it is needed for the plot line. All I ask of you all is that you have a little faith..

**Shadow: **What happens? Someone die or something. (everyone glares at Shadow) What?

* * *

Chapter 23: Night Prowlers 

With reluctance Naomi handed off little Janet to Sarah. "I'll be back soon baby." She whispered to her child, kissing her forehead tenderly. Little Janet chortled quietly in Sarah's arms as the two women looked at each other. Although she didn't say anything, Sarah understood exactly what Naomi was asking of her.

"We'll be fine Na'. I'll take good care of her." Early that morning details of the Blitz's next battle had come through from the ZBC. It was to be a local battle, against the Raiders. Since the team would be coming back late that night, Naomi had decided to leave little Janet with Sarah at home while she and the rest of the team headed out to their battle. Naomi didn't mention it often, but since Janet had been born she so rarely got a chance to have a night out. Everyone could see that despite the love and affection she felt for her child, Naomi was in need of some relaxation time. As such Sarah had volunteered to remain at the base and baby sit Janet, allowing Naomi to have a good time.

Truth be told only half the team needed to go, but everyone had wanted to see their friends in the Raiders again, and have a chance for an evening out. Cassandra certainly needed some cheering up, after the news she got a few nights ago. She hadn't spoken about it to anyone, but the Blitz had come to know her well enough to realise that she was hurting, and needed some time off.

As she stood in the hanger door watching the Hover Cargo rumble away, she felt Angel slid against her leg. She looked down at the liger's head, now level with her waist. The tawny-yellow fur gleamed in the fading sunlight, while she could feel the power in her lithe frame just from the contact between her thigh and Angel's body.

"It's okay. They'll be back tonight." Sarah reached down with her free hand to gently stroke Angel's head, her fingers running along the faint stripes that ran down the back of the liger's head. Little Janet chortled in Sarah's arms, and a chill ran up her legs. With a shiver she stepped back into the hanger. "Come on in Angel, its' getting cold."

The liger continued to stare out after the rapidly disappearing Hover Cargo for a long moment after Sarah had gone inside. Then with a roll of the shoulders she turned and began to pad inside. Suddenly her ears twitched and she froze in her footsteps, her lean and powerful head swinging round to stare towards one of the nearby cliffs. Golden eyes scanned across the rocks, looking for the source of the faint sound. After almost a minute with no sign of life, Angel turned back and stalked into the base.

x x x x x x

Albane released the breath he had been holding as the liger entered the Blitz base. His relief quickly turned to anger as he swung round to look over his team. This whole new scheme of Altiel's depended on stealth and precise timing. They had to wait until the Blitz team was far enough away that there was no way they could interfere. They had been camped here for almost three days waiting for the right time, and now it had come, one of these fools had nearly given them away!

"Damn, that beast looked right at us…" one was saying before he noticed Albane glaring at him. Underneath the black camo marks on his face his skin rapidly paled. "S… sir?" There was a note of fear in his voice.

"Who made that sound?" That sound had been the careless shifting of weight, causing a weapon that had been resting on a rock to slide off and fall. The clatter of the metal against stone had seemed as loud as a cannon discharge.

"I… don't know sir."

"You don't know…" Albane said slowly, his every word measured. Inwardly he sighed at the level of these people he had to deal with. The Backdraft always had plenty of able-bodied men for its work, but none of them were 'good' men. Some had some small talent in one or two areas, but in the main they were thugs, fit only for grunt work and looking tough. This squad were supposed to be the Backdrafts top covert ops section, and Albane had forgotten more about covert operations than they all would ever know.

Quick as a flash he brought out his sidearm and fired. The silenced pistol made almost no sound, and the motion was so fast that the men didn't realised he had shot the man he had been speaking to until the man in question fell backwards slowly. He was dead before he hit the ground, the round having gone through the back of his mouth and shattering his spine.

Albane looked at each mans face, looking into their wide, fear filled eyes. "The next man who gives us away will get the same punishment." Holstering the pistol he turned his back on them and silently stepped around the rocks toward where he had stashed the comm system.

It was a calculated risk, turning his back on the others after executing one of them, but Albane felt no fear. He knew that with his superior senses and reflexes he'd be able to react and deal with any trouble. None of them tried anything, as was proper. _'Fear is the greatest tool in the armoury of a lord' _

Crouching down by the comm, He quickly inputted his commands. Within seconds the connection was made.

"Yes?" Altiel's voice came over tinny.

"We have a window."

"Good. Execute when right." And with that Altiel closed the channel. Nothing more needed to be said.

As he packed away the set, Albane allowed a small smirk to crease his face. That fool Altiel had never known his real identity, nor that Albane was only working for him since it suited his purposes. One day, he would remove him like so many others and reclaim his lost heritage.

But that day was still a long way off, and there were still many things Albane needed to deal with before he could rise to power. His grandfather had been rash, unwilling to wait. _'What did you expect? He was of polluted blood.'_ Albane had not lived as long as he had, nor kept his real age and heritage secret, by being careless.

Stepping around the rocks, he found the other men still staring at the body of their comrade. "Pack everything up. We move in one hour." His barked commands made them all jump, and they quickly scurried to do his bidding.

x x x x x x

Sarah sighed happily as she flicked off the monitor. As ever, the battle between the Blitz and the Raiders had been tense and close, the two sides tearing each other apart. She had noted that young Miranda seemed to be picking up tips and improving rapidly, and had proved to be a hard target to hit. But in the end the Blitz had come out on top once more, though only just. It was going to be another steep repair bill again, what with Leena, Brad and Pierce knocked out in the fighting. Derek and Anna's third child had been born just over a week ago, so the Raiders had fielded their entire force of six zoids, including his Genosaurer.

As if in sympathy with her thoughts, Sarah felt the child within her shift about, prompting her to slid a hand underneath her expanded belly. Unlike before when she had carried Vega, Sarah could fully explore the warmth and joy of impeding motherhood. Back then she had been living almost hand to mouth, but now her future was secure.

Smiling she looked down at little Janet, who was sprawled out on the sofa besides her, dozing. Tenderly she scooped up the child. "Time to put you to bed." She whispered. Sarah just about managed to stand up, a small groan escaping her lips as she did so. She knew that soon she would be unable to move about the base without help. After having to go through this period alone, she was looking forward to having a helping hand.

Turning the corner at the top of the stairs, Sarah caught sight of Angel padding up the stairs after her, causing her to smile. The liger had to understand what she was going through, as she seemed determined to not leave her alone. Sarah was glad for the company, even the almost silent and powerful type provided by the liger. And as Christian had said, the liger appeared to regard the child in her arms as partly her own, for quite often she had stayed by Janet's crib at night.

Awkwardly Sarah made her way into Brad and Naomi's chambers. She smiled in reflection as she thought about the changes the pair had made to the room they had been given. This new base was slowly becoming a mansion, with lots of little rooms leading off each other. The collection of personal items and furniture also softened the effect, transforming a linked set of rooms into a home.

Gingerly she laid the sleeping child in her crib, taking care not to bang her head against the flying zoid mobile that hung above it. Silently she tucked Janet in, making sure that her favourite toys, soft cuddly versions of her parents zoids, were besides her. Without waking, little Janet's arm reached out and snagged the felt Shadow Fox, before pulling it to her. Sarah could only shake her head at the sight of the little girl holding that toy, one of whose ears was a little ragged.

Stepping back to the door, she picked up the receiver unit for the baby monitor, glancing back at the crib as she did so. As she had expected, Angel had laid down besides it, her mottled fur disappearing in the dark room. With her head resting on her forepaws, the only thing that betrayed her presence was her golden eyes gleaming in the low light from the hall. With a sigh, Sarah started back down stairs, leaving the door to the Hunters room slightly ajar, just in case Angel needed to get out during the night.

Once back in the living area, Sarah eased herself into the main computer room, and began her weekly order of ammo and parts for the Blitz. She knew that they had enough in stock to repair the damage from today's battle and maybe one more, but it was always a sound idea to have spares. The same was true of ammo.

Sarah chuckled as she skimmed over the inventory. _'Leena still goes through ammo faster than she can run...' _

Thinking about Leena brought her brother Leon to Sarah's thoughts, and once again she unconsciously stroked her belly. Sarah wasn't sure which side of the family their child would take after…

Just as she clicked the submit icon for the order, something clamped across her mouth. Sarah tried to scream as she felt herself being pulled up and back by someone, but the cloth over her mouth prevented her making a sound. Then the chloroform that was soaked into the cloth reached her brain, and everything went dark…

x x x x x x

Albane watched without expression as two of his men bound up an unconscious Sarah, his only reaction was to click his comm once, to inform the Gustav driver to come in. _'One target acquired. Now for the other…' _

Upstairs two more men moved stealthily down the hall, checking each room as they did so. The team was not sure just how many of the Blitz had let earlier, so they had to be sure. On the other side of the building a second pair was doing the same thing.

At last the pair reached the open door to the Hunters chambers. Without a word one pushed the door fully open before slipping inside. A quick scan of the room revealed no-one present, and a lack of light from the bedroom part indicated that no-one was here. Smirking, the man lowered his weapon as he stepped towards the crib. _'Piece of cake…' _He thought.

A low growl caused him to freeze in his stride, eyes darting about frantically. But when Angel stepped forward into the moonlight that spilled in from outside the room, the blood drained from his face. For a long moment the two of them stood there, facing off.

"Good kitty…" He began.

In reply Angel growled once more, baring her fangs and lowering her shoulders, clearly a prelude to a pounce. In the air behind her the operative could just make out the silhouette of her tail thrashing about.

"Nice kitty…" He said, his voice trembling as he took a half step to the side, trying to get around the liger that blocked his path to the crib.

Quick as lightning Angel lashed out with a paw, her claws out and gleaming. Her eyes seemed to glow with balefire as she growled again. Gasping in pain the man staggered back, clutching his upper left arm. Blood ran down from the four deep parallel scratches that had torn right through his clothing and flesh with ease. In the background Janet, awoken by the growls and gasps of pain, began to wail.

"What the hell?" The man's companion exclaimed as he looked in, to find himself face to face with a very angry liger. "Oh crap!" he gasped, going for his sidearm.

Angel didn't give him a chance. In one powerful leap she pounced on him, her weight bearing him down. She sank her teeth into his shoulder, biting deep. The crackle of broken bones accompanied the man's outcries of pain. His wounded comrade tried to shift her, but Angel reacted to the sound of his swinging foot by letting go and ducking, the offending boot sailing just over her head. In reply she lashed out again, her claws raking down the back of the man's thigh.

Both men managed to stumble out of the room, gasping in pain. Attracted by the noise, the rest of the team came running, to discover their wounded comrades lying on the floor, whimpering.

"What the hell happened to you two?" One asked.

"It's that bloody cat! It's huge!"

"So? It's just one overgrown cat." Albane's cold voice froze the operative's blood as he stalked forwards to stand over the two fallen men. Looking down at them he shook his head in disgust. "You can't even handle a six month old child and a cat?"

"Sir, that thing's no cat! It's a monster…" One began, but he stopped when Albane drew his pistol. He held it on them for a moment before turning towards another man.

"Now, get in there and bring me that baby!"

Eye's wide in fear, the man stepped through the doorway. Almost immediately, a growl from Angel was followed by her tawny form leaping across the room in a flash of fur before slamming into the man. The sounds of his terror and pain drowned out by the thud of him striking the floor with her four-fifty kilo weight on top. Quick as a flash her jaws locked around his throat and, with a sickening snap, she effortlessly broke his neck.

"Impressive…" Albane muttered, just before he squeezed the trigger.

The bullet struck Angel in the shoulder, rocking her to one side. She glared at Albane just before he fired again twice, both rounds striking her in the torso. With a heavy thud the liger collapsed.

For a moment the only sound was the wailing of Janet Hunter, before Albane calmly holstered his pistol and turned back to his men.

"Now get me that kid. Bring him…" He gestured to the dead man. "…and let's be away before the Blitz gets back."

As his men bent to their tasks, Albane stepped up to the still body of the Liger. He allowed his eyes to wander along the length of Angel, taking in the shine of her coat, the powerful frame.

"Shame, would have made a nice fur coat. But I don't have the men to bring this beast too. Oh well…" Turning to the now empty crib, Albane pulled the disk from within the coat pocket he had placed it when the mission had begun. Smirking, he laid it down in the empty space where Janet had laid, besides the soft toy version of a Snipe Master. He knew as soon as the Blitz returned the Hunters would check on their child. The child that was right now being carried into the Gustav that idled outside, along with Sarah Obscura Toros.

As he stepped out of the Blitz base and into the waiting Gustav, Albane allowed his thoughts to wander. Now that they had both Sarah and the Hunter's child, the Blitz would give in to any demand if they knew what was good for them. Albane knew what Altiel and Slater wanted, the Ultimate X zoids. Them and revenge. But Albane knew that an Ultimate X zoid wasn't the be-all and end-all of things, especially power. Real power was the ability to determine men's lives, control life and death.

_'Let those fools believe what they will.'_ He thought as the Gustav rumbled towards the rendezvous with their Whale King. Albane had seen real power, and he was determined to harness it. Already a few choice sections of code were being rewritten in the 'converted' Cybrids, just a waiting the right time. For now Albane was quite happy to let Altiel think he was in charge, and to let him take over the world. But once he had, Albane would be there to remove the foolish upstart and take his rightful place as overlord of Zi. Where Guther Prozen had failed with the cloned Death Saurer he, Albane Durok Prozen the Third, last in the line of the Prozen family would succeed.

* * *

**O'neill: **Anyone else have the urge to put a bullet through Albane's head?

**Ivonova: **(snarls out some nasty russian curse. Daniel winces)

**Mal: **Why that... (trails out into a long stream of chinese. Daniel winces even more)

**Zeke: **Well, I'd rather crush... (looks around) say where'd DR go?

**Carter: **I think he's hiding from potential flame attacks by readers.

**Apollo: **Well, can't blame him. (turns towards readers) Don't worry, once the Beta-Reader gets back with the last few chapters, the rest of this story will be posted.

**Jack Sparrow: **Does this er scallywag Albane get what he deserves?

**Apollo: **Oh yes... (winces)

**Jack Sparrow: **Oh good.


	24. The Face of Evil

**DR: **You'll be pleased to hear that my Beta-reader has finished the last chapters, so now I can start an accelerated posting timetable!

**Zeke: **All right!

**Jack: **Cool!

**DR: **I thought you'd like that. So expect the next chapter up on Monday. On a related topic, I'm taking down the 'Interlude' chapter from this story...

**Shadow: **Why?

**DR: **Because I used that as a starting point for a _Battlestar Galatica _fic that sets up the characters for their entrance into this story arc.

**Mal: **Huh. So where will it be?

**DR: **It will be postedunder the 'Battlestar Galatica' section. Note NOT the BSG 2003 section. And now, let us continue with this story. Some more darkness here, but things are being turned around...

* * *

Chapter 24: The Face of Evil

When the message had finished playing, the only sound in the common area of the Blitz base was Naomi's weeping. Each and every one of both the Blitz and the Raider were speechless in shock, horror and rage. Brad had his arms round Na', trying to comfort her and failing terribly. Leena and Bit clung to one another, seeking reassurance from the other. Anna, as a mother and having only just recently delivered her latest, could fully understand what Naomi was going through, and she held her newborn child close to her, while her other children sat each side, lending support. Derek stood behind her seat, his hand on her shoulder. Pierce and Jamie were crouched by Angel, their concern for the wounded Liger matching their pain at what had happened to Sarah and Janet.

Steve slowly shifted his eyes to look across at his son and grandson-in-law. Both Leon and Vega stood stock still, their eyes locked on the now dark screen. Each man's hands were clenched into fists at their sides, and they had almost identical expressions of rage. Leon's eyes had narrowed to slits and his lips were compressed into a razor thin line. Vega on the other hand…

Steve found himself shocked for a second as he took in the change that had come over Vega. Gone was the carefree, honest and open young man. Instead there was a look that could have been lifted from his ancestor Raven's darkest days. A look of total hatred, that boded a terrible fate for those who had caused it.

Steve still could not believe it. When the team had been heading home they had called ahead to tell Sarah that the Raiders would be staying for the evening. But when they got no answer from the base, worries had begun to rise. They had pushed the Hover Cargo to the max to get home quickly. Finding the doors open, they had flown into the base, Leon and Vega first in, closely followed by Brad and Naomi. While the two men searched the first floor, the Hunters had run to check on Janet.

Naomi's scream of terror had drawn them all upstairs, fearing the worse. While it was not as bad as it could have been, it was not much better. Angel had laid there, blood seeping from a trio of bullet wounds and staining her jaws. Other blood stains spotted the area around the door. And in the crib there had only been a disk, with a label simply saying 'For the Blitz Team'.

On it, the voice of Altiel had spelled out everything. That the reincarnated Backdraft had both Sarah and the child, and that they were now being held for ransom. He had told them that he would be contacting them later with a place and time. That had been it. That was all that needed to be said.

Motion in the corner of his eye drew Steve's attention to the door to the hanger. Cassie disappeared through, the sounds of her harsh footfalls ringing out on the metal stairs. Shortly after they faded they could hear the faint sounds of her kicking crates and drums about, clearly her way of dealing with anger.

As if those sounds were a switch, the others began to move from their frozen pose. Jamie stood up and moved towards the computer room with a set look in his eyes. Leon drifted towards the dinning table, the furious look fading into one of fear.

"Oh Brad, they have her! They have our baby!" Naomi voice was faint and weak from within Brad's arms.

"We'll get her back Na'…" Brad tried to comfort her, But Naomi refused to be comforted now. She raised her head up, and despite the tears that streaked her face, it was clear that her grief was turning into anger.

"Oh, we will…" Her voice had shifted, becoming cold and harsh. Her eyes had narrowed to slits, flashing darkly.

Almost to himself, Vega voiced the thoughts of everyone there.

"And we'll make them pay for this!" Even the legendary Raven would have taken a step back at his tone.

x x x x x x

Sarah held the crying form of Janet to her, trying to comfort the child. Needless to say, her efforts where not working well, since she too was terrified and distraught over their current situation.

She had woken up with her head foggy to darkness. With the little light she had, Sarah had been able to see four plain metal walls, with only one door and no windows. The deep rumble that seemed to come from all around her was one that she knew all too well. It was the rumble of a Whale King's engines.

For a short time her own fear and panic was forced down by her concern for Janet Hunter, who had been the only other occupant of her new prison. Sarah was certain it was a prison, as despite the chloroform she could remember realising that someone, maybe more than one, was in the base. At first she had hoped that Janet had not been taken, but seeing the small cloth bundle that cocooned the child had driven a large stake through her heart. Little Janet was the daughter of the Blitz Team, and each of them saw her as partly their own child. With the exceptions of Stoller and Steve, the latter seeing her as a grandchild, while Stoller… never really could fell that way about anybody.

Sarah lost track of time, sitting there holding Janet, one hand splayed across her own expanded belly. It wasn't just her life and Janet's life that was in risk… there was also her un-born child to consider. Never in her life before had she felt so helpless, so totally alone. She knew that Angel had to have been killed for their attackers to reach Janet, and she wept for the fallen liger. She also wept for what Leon, Brad and Naomi must be going through right now.

Weakened by the drug, hindered by her child, and having to comfort a bewildered infant, Sarah remained sitting there, her legs tucked underneath her. Deep down she knew it would be pointless to try and escape. In her brief look at the door, she had noticed that the control panel on this side had been removed. With no way to open the door, she was trapped.

Had she been alone, without child, she might have attempted to work her way through the air vents, but even without Janet, her pregnancy prevented that method of escape. So she was forced to sit and wait, praying that the rest of the team would be coming after them.

After a long time, she felt the engine rumble change pitch, and then a much heavier tremor ran through the deck, before the engines spooled down. _'We've arrived… where ever we were going.'_ She thought to herself. Hopefully now she would get some answers.

A few minutes later she heard footsteps beyond the door, before it was suddenly opened, retreating into the wall to one side. Bright light beyond shone in, and Sarah raised a hand in an attempt to avoid being blinded.

"Ah Sarah… we meet again at last. Look how you have fallen."

A shaft of ice ran up her spine at the voice. She knew the speaker.

Slowly she looked up towards the head of the man that now stood before her. "Altiel." Her voice was as sharp as a razor blade and colder than space.

Altiel stood there for a second, stunned at the effect her voice had on him, before he managed to shake off the chilling effect. Laughing cruelly, he sank down into a crouch before her so that they were both on the same level. "I still can't believe you married into that team. You turned your back on everything you once stood for!"

"And I don't regret my decision for one second!" she snapped back. "I hated my time in the Backdraft under the Count! The people I had to work with…!" She trailed off in disgust.

"Yes, the calibre of our men was not what it could have been…" Altiel agreed. "…with a few notable exceptions of course." He added as he recalled who else was in the room with him and Sarah.

Behind him Albane smiled slightly, barely visible in daylight. In the darkened chamber of the Whale King, the action was invisible.

"Still, you work with what you've got." Altiel carried on. "And now I have you… and her." He extended one finger towards the small bundle that Sarah held.

Sarah tried to move back from him, but found the wall was in the way. "I'll never work for you!"

"You won't have to. Not that I'd trust you anyway." Altiel slowly straightened up. Behind him, she could now see a pale skinned man with white hair and cruel red eyes watching her like a serpent. Moving through the hatch was a pair of men with a camera.

"If your teammates know what is good for you, and her, they'll agree to my demands…" Sarah couldn't help but shiver at his words.

x x x x x x

When the terminal alerted them to an incoming call, it shocked the gathered people in the Blitz base out of the stupor that had fallen on them. They had made several calls, and now a council of war of sorts had formed. Now Dr Layon and Christian himself sat with the two teams, both men shocked and disgusted. Samantha Masters herself was tending to the wounded Liger.

Not all the team were there. Vega was sitting in the Fury's cockpit, brooding. Leon was in his and Sarah's room, still in shock. Naomi's earlier rage had faded, and now she could only sob besides the echoingly empty crib.

As it was, the one who opened the channel was Brad. As soon as the face of Altiel came through, his eyes narrowed to slits. "You…" it was more of a snarl than a spoken word. The others looked up, scowls crossing their faces as they realised who had called.

"Well Blitz team, I see you've discovered my message." Altiel smirked.

"Shut up you bastard! Where the hell is my daughter!" Brad roared at him, blood thundering through his veins and his fist clenched tightly enough to draw blood.

"Why, both her and Sarah are fine…" He turned back slightly to reveal Sarah sitting on the floor by a wall, clutching a cloth bundle to her. Cassandra' eyes shot open when she saw the man standing over her, then narrowed to slits.

"…for now, that is." Altiel continued his voice full of conceit. "And if you want them to remain that way, then you had better pay up."

"Alright, so what is it you want?" Stoller asked calmly, ever the practical one.

Altiel smirked. "Simply the three Ultimate X zoids."

The next few seconds were filled with cries of outrage and anger as the gathered pilots vented their feelings.

"No way!"

"Never!"

Through it all both Christian and Layon remained seated. Layon held his head in his hands, ashamed that he had ever worked with this scum, while Christian showed no outward reaction. But those who looked closely would have seen the dangerous sparkle in his eyes, the way his jaw was set.

Altiel's only response to the raised voices was a broadening of his smirk. "Careful now Blitz Team. You wouldn't want anything to happen to Sarah here…" Behind him the white haired man had produced a knife out of nowhere and now held it menacingly close to Sarah's neck. The sight of the cold steel silenced all of them. While they stood silenced, Altiel worked a panel off screen. A flashing message icon appeared at the bottom of the screen.

"I've just sent you the coordinates for the transfer. You provide all three zoids there by nightfall. I'll have men there to pick them up. Once we have them secured, I'll release Sarah and the girl. You have my word." With a smirk Altiel signed off.

"Like his word counts for anything." Brad growled. Jamie pulled up the data packet. Contained within was a small area map, near the mouth of a series of canyons.

"So, what we going to do?" Bit asked everyone at large. "I mean, I can't bear the thought of giving up Liger, but at the same time, I don't want anything to happen to Sarah and Janet!"

"I don't see why we can't just blast his men and them make them tell us where their holding them!" Leena snapped, her eyes flashing darkly. The old Blitz took two steps away from her, as this was her old 'psycho' look.

"It would take too long." Stoller sighed. "By the time you forced that information out of them, the rest of the Backdraft would have moved them both somewhere else."

"Just you let me try!" Leena's voice was a raw challenge, and Stoller found himself taking several steps back from her, worry in his eyes.

"We could at least try…"

"You won't have to." Layon's voice cut across Bit. Everyone in the room turned to look at the old Zoid scientist. He slowly looked up at them all. "I know where they are."

For several seconds no one spoke, jaws agape. Predictably, it was Leena who first got her voice back. "You KNEW where the Backdraft is based? And you only mention this NOW!" Her fists were clenched hard, trembling at her sides.

"No, I didn't know until Jamie brought that map up." Layon sighed before slowly walking over to the screen. Tapping away at the controls, he brought up an aerial map of the canyon network. He laid a finger at the end of one of the canyons. "Just before I left the Backdraft, the Council asked me to design a hidden base for them here. It was to be their ace in the hole, a completely hidden nerve centre that could run the world. We did carve out a small portion of the chambers needed, just enough for a small outpost. But then the Backdraft got its hands on a number of Whale Kings and they decided to put the project on a shelf." Layon gazed wistfully at the screen. "Looks like Altiel's decided to use it now."

"Makes sense, after the losses they suffered." Derek threw in. "Last I heard, the ZBC had captured ninety-eight percent of all Backdraft zoids, including their Whale Kings."

"Besides, having a hidden main base is ideal when you're a movement like them." Christian stated, stepping up to the map himself. His eyes roved along the canyons, surely and thoroughly. "How deep are we talking here Layon?"

"The canyon is at least a couple hundred feet deep at the end, while the base was to be below the valley floor level. The hanger entrance is camouflaged and hidden under an overhang. The tunnel in goes a couple dozen feet down and almost a hundred further into the rock."

Christian hummed and nodded his head slowly. "They couldn't have picked a better spot. You'd need a nuke like the one that was going to be used on you to dig it out." Even Leena paled at the mention of that weapon. "And a conventional assault would be very costly. Those canyon walls are natural fortifications, while the wind shear on the plains above would cause even Mnementh to struggle. If the man who laid the defences is anything like me, then that…" he stabbed his finger onto the image of the canyon. "…is 'the' Valley of Death."

Bit looked at Christian for a long moment. "How come you…"

"Understand such things?" Christian smirked. "Three things: I'm ex-military, I've lived almost seven hundred years, and I've gone over the maps of this planet so many times I know the landscape better than my wife's figure." He pulled a face at the last comment. "Just don't her I said that… either of them."

"Oh…" Brad couldn't help but be heartened by the totally idiotic look that appeared on Bit's face.

"Tell me Doc, was there any other way out?"

Layon shook his head. "The full plans call for another five exits, but none were dug before the pull was pulled. Even if they began digging the moment the Backdraft fell, none would be ready yet."

"So, we have one advantage. They are trapped in a corner. They have no escape route." Christian looked intently at the map. "Course, trapped men with no other choice tend to fight harder and are more likely to take chances, making them more dangerous."

"Can't we just give them what they want, and then…" Cassie stopped as everyone looked at her, some with shock and some with rage. "What? I was going to say we hide some of us in the zoids, and they can smash their way out."

"It's a good idea Cassie, but it wouldn't work. I doubt Altiel, despite his limited intelligence, would fall for that one." Christian gently said, defusing the tension that had filled the air at her words. "If he any sense at all, he'd ensure that the zoids are restrained completely."

"And I wouldn't give up my zoid ever!" Leena snapped. She would have advanced on Cassie had Christian not stepped between them.

"No one's giving up anything. Even if we followed Cassie's idea, we'd still be giving in to them. We can not do that. Ever." Christian's words had a firm note of finality to them that made everyone look up.

"If we ever give in to this, then every two-bit criminal will kidnap someone, knowing that push comes, we give in. Let me tell you a story about the country back on Earth I was born in. Long before I was born, a group of men took over an embassy, taking over twenty hostages. They threatened to kill them all until a crazed terrorist leader was released and the hostage takers were allowed to fly home."

What happened?" Bit asked spellbound.

"The government at the time tried to negotiate, but the group were not budging. And then they killed one hostage, to show that they were serious. In response, the country's Special Forces went in. All but one of the hostage takers was killed, and all the remaining hostages were saved. Ever since, no one has tried to take hostages in that country." Christian looked around at the gathered pilots faces.

"Hostage situations are all about bluffing. If they kill the hostages, it strengthens the other parties resolve to win, plus they lose bargaining power. If they threaten to kill and then don't, it weakens their position. Negotiation rarely works in my experience." He turned back to the map, folding his arms across his chest.

"If we are to win this, we have to call their bluff, and storm that canyon with everything we have." Christian looked around to see both Leon and Naomi on the stairs listening, while Vega stood in the doorway to the hanger. "It's going to be an uphill struggle, but I'm sure that we're all up for it. Who's with me?"

One look in each person's eye told him his answer…

* * *

**Zeke:** (chuckles) Watch out Altiel, the Blitz are coming!

**Shadow: **And they are pissed!

**DR: **Understatement that. Next time the teams go into action... See you on Monday! Oh, and don't forget to check out 'Rebuilding Hope' under _Battlestar Galatica_...


	25. Blitzkrieg!

**DR: **For all you fans wanting something really nasty to happen to the Backdraft, it starts now...

**Shadow: **Oh good... (evil grin)

**DR: **I have to admit that I have slight concerns about this battle. I'm not so sure if I mantained my standard here... Also I didn't realise that removing that one chapter would mess things up so much for you all. Sorry.

* * *

Chapter 25: Blitzkrieg!

Sarah could only look helplessly out of the canyon mouth. She and Janet had been bundled into a jeep and then together with a pair of Gustav's each hauling two zoid trailers fitted with restraint systems had been driven to the very end of the canyon. The Gustav's had moved on ahead, stopping at the point where the Blitz Team was supposed to met them and hand over the zoids. Altiel, sitting in the front passenger seat, had gleefully told her the planed exchange.

During such, she had realised that he had finally lost all sanity. His laughter had been that of a totally deranged maniac.

Holding Janet close, Sarah had refrained from replying to Altiel's words, instead focusing on the moaning of the winds as they ran out of the canyon network, the faint crackle of static over the radio link to the 'exchange' team, the setting sun tinting the rocks red as the shadows grew. The hard seat in the back of the jeep was uncomfortable, but better that the metal flooring she had been forced to sit on before.

The radio crackled sharply, just before a voice came over. _"Sir, we have sighted the Blitz Teams transport, heading this way. No other contacts."_

Altiel grinned as he brought the speaker to his lips. "Excellent. Prepare to receive the zoids." He turned to Sarah. "Looks like your team-mates decided to do the smart thing and give in." An evil grin creased his face.

Sarah didn't reply verbally, but instead gave him one of her old icy glares before shifting in her seat. Inside however, she was sobbing in grief.

Altiel turned away from her, still grinning, to look at the Hover Cargo where it was pulling to a stop. Already the forward cargo hatch and the catapult were opening up. At this distance, all he was able to see was a white blur leap out of the catapult, shortly followed by a shadowy grey one. His grin widened as his finger inched towards the remote he held…

Suddenly a violent explosion erupted from the rocky spire that rose besides the Hover Cargo. Even as Altiel's eyes widened in horror, the air behind the Hover Cargo shimmered, to reveal a Cargo Hammerhead hovering there with its bay doors wide open. Rapidly a black and a red shape dropped down, followed closely by others. More shapes came out of the Hover Cargo, and Altiel's jaw fell even as Sarah smiled in joy.

The Blitz Team were here not to hand over their zoids, but to fight! He scrabbled for the radio.

"Bring the defences online! Get our pilots to the zoids!" He screamed into the radio as something leapt behind the Gustav's and began to race towards him. "Get everything we have out now!"

A powerful howling filled the air, just as the radio suddenly screamed into static. Sarah's smiled widened as she recognised the war cry of the Shadow Fox.

"You hear that?" she whispered to Janet, who now lay awake in her arms. "Your daddy's coming to get us."

x x x x x x

Bit's face was unusually stoic as the Liger Zero charged into the canyon along side the other zoids. He was fed up with the Backdraft ruining everyone's lives, and he intended to ensure that this shadowy organisation was finished!

Just to his left he could see Leena's Iguanosaur pounding forward, her lasers stabbing out to both sides while the main guns tore swathes through the defences. To his right was Derek in his Genosaurer, fully repaired in time for this fight. Further out was Leon and his Blade Liger. The other side of Leena was Vega, Cassie and Anna. Behind them were Jane, Jacob, Naomi and Miranda. Further back was the Hover Cargo flanked by Stoller and Michael, their slower zoids moping up anything that the others missed.

Out ahead of the combined teams was Brad, his Shadow Fox almost hidden in the shadows cast by the canyon walls. Invisible to radar and hard to see in the dark, he was able to rove ahead of the others and use his newly added ECM to mess with the defenders targeting and radios, while providing targeting data for the rest of the team.

The plan had been for the Blitz and Raiders to smash through the defences, while ZBC troops followed them and took all the Backdraft members into custody. Jamie and Pierce were currently flying above the canyon, above the wind shear and the range of the fixed guns. They were waiting for any attempt by the Backdraft to escape. Christian had said he would be there to help too, once he got back from alerting the ZBC.

Still, even with the element of surprise and the tactics the teams were using, it was still hard going. There were dozens of fixed emplacements, all well dug in. The Liger ducked to avoid a brace of laser bolts as its own missiles ripped apart the turret that fired them. He saw Leena rocked by a burst of cannon fire, the Iguanosaur stumbling.

"Oh yeah?" She snarled as her zoid spun round, the head lowering. "Take THIS!" Her hybrid cannon spoke, and ahuge fireball tore apart the turret that had dared to strike her.

"Head's up people, their pilots are out!" Brad's voice came across the comm as he darted back to the group, linked beam cannon blasts following him.

Naomi's eyes narrowed at that sight, and she acted on impulse. Her zoid leapt to the top of a large outcrop of rock before spinning around. The Snipe Masters claws dug deep into the rock as the tail rifle primed. Swinging her sights over the bend ahead, she saw a Molga rumble around the corner, cannons stabbing away.

With a smirk, Naomi pulled the trigger. The rifle spoke, and the bullet punched right through the small caterpillar zoid. The Molga was knocked across the canyon floor by the impact and ending up on its side.

Leon raced around the corner, coming face to face with a dozen Rev Raptors. Unleashing a roar of anger, he charged right into their midst, laser blades slicing deep into any zoid that got too close. As the Backdraft pilots reeled from his sudden assault, the Fury smashed into them, his jaws ripping into them.

A Hellcat tried to attack Leena from behind, only for Jane's Zaber Fang to pounce on him. The smaller cat zoid was no match for the Zaber, and was quickly dispatched.

"Let's keep moving!" Bit called, the Liger Zero bowling two Raptors out of the way as he pushed forward. Bullets slammed down around them, forcing Bit to pull up. Looking towards the source, he saw a row of five Gunsnipers standing on a ridge, all aiming their tail rifles towards him. Just before they fired though, a curtain of shells tore apart both the zoids and the rock ledge, sending them tumbling. Bit grinned as he heard Leena's zoid bellow.

As Miranda put down a Molga, she looked up to see a jeep hugging the cliff face. What drew her attention however was the dark blue hair that streamed from one of the passengers. She quickly hit her comm system. "That jeep by the east wall, it has Mrs Toros in it!"

Hearing her words, Leon and Brad broke off and tore after the jeep. Leon was not about to let them take his wife away! Brad figured that wherever Sarah was, Janet was too. Behind them the rest of the team tore into the Backdraft zoids with ease, before they too pushed forward, covering the two men.

xx x x x x

Altiel was in a full a panic now as he only had to look over his shoulder to see the Blitz Teams zoids and their allies tear through his bases defences. The jeep had only barely been able to stay ahead of them, and now both the red Blade Liger and the Fox were bearing down on him! "Slater! Albane! Where the hell are you two!"

"_We're moving out now." _Albane's icy cold tones cut through the air. _"And we have our 'special' units."_ Sarah perked up at those words. What did they mean by 'Special'?

"What's taking you so long!" Altiel screeched as he watched the Shadow Fox pounce just where they had been. He swore that he could see hate in the zoids eyes!

"_Keep your shirt on A. We're on our way."_

On the other end of the line, Albane looked across at Slater, an evil glint in both men's eyes.

"Sounds like our fearless leader is losing it."

"He had already lost it Slater."

"True. Still we'd best get out there. I want some payback!"

x x x x x x

In the skies above the canyon, Jamie had been watching the battle below when Pierce had called him up. "Heads up, we've got incoming."

Jamie looked at his displays. A swarm of Zabats were rising to meet them both. Smirking he rolled his shoulders before looking into Pierces eyes. She too had that same predatory gleam in her eyes.

"Well, shall we dance my love?" He asked.

"Oh yes…" Pierce purred before her Storm Sworder rolled over and dived right down the middle of the oncoming force. Three Zabats began to plummet, smoking billowing from the deep gashes in their sides carved by her laser blades.

As the remainder turned to follow her, Jamie cut loose with his lasers, the bright emerald beams punching deeply into the Zabats thin armour. Several seemed to stutter, before they fell from the skies trailing smoke.

Pierce swung back up into the swarm, her knowledge of Zabats allowing her to know their move's before they even made them. Her lasers sliced into one after another and each time it was a kill.

x x x x x x

Down in the canyon, the Blitz and Raiders continued to tear through the defences. Explosions went off in an almost constant wall ahead of them, as each turret was taken out. The AI's manning the turrets struggled to keep up with the chaotic moves of the teams zoids, and most only got off one or two shots before they were destroyed.

The few zoids that had been mobilised didn't fair much better. Out-classed and out-manoeuvred, their pilots panicked and could barely shoot straight. The two teams went through them like a hot knife through butter.

To Altiel, watching from just ahead of the teams, it was his worst nightmare come true. To him, the flames from the burning turrets turned all the zoids into the demons of hell, spiting fire and unleashing terrible war cry's. He saw the destruction of everything he had dreamed of, and he got a glimpse into the hell he was surely bound for.

For Sarah however, things were totally different. She saw the way in which her team moved, the graceful ballet of skilled pilots paired with incredible zoids. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks as she watched the team take down the last remains of the Backdraft, that hate filled organisation that had consumed so many years of her life and had brought untold grief and pain.

The jeeps driver was in a full blown panic, his eyes fixed ahead while a warm wet patch spread from his pants. _'Oh why did I sign up with this lot?' _His thoughts raced as he tried to stay ahead of the blood red Liger that snapped at the jeeps rear fender. _'Momma told me it was a bad idea, but I didn't listen…'_

Suddenly a long shadowy grey thing slammed down ahead of them, and the driver had to slam on the brakes to stop. As the dust settled, the thing resolved into the Fury's tail, laid out flat on the ground. Altiel's eyes travelled along the zoid until he reached the head, where two blood red eyes stared back. A growl from above made him look up, straight into the Shadow Fox's eyes. They seemed filled with fire and hate!

With trepidation, he looked back. Leon's Blade Liger stood behind them, the head lowered till the two huge front canines almost reached the jeep. Through the canopy, Altiel could see Leon's face over the controls. Had looks been lasers, he would have been incinerated on the spot, so deadly was the glare Leon was sending him.

As the sounds of battle died away, Altiel found his tongue once more. "Driver…" he said, not taking his gaze away from Leon's. "Get us around…"

"No can do sir…" The driver responded, his teeth chattering in fear. Altiel turned to see what was wrong.

He wished he hadn't.

Leena had laid her zoid down so that the end of the tail rested just in front of the Fury's feet. Arranged behind the Iguanosaur's neck were the other zoids, all except Naomi's Snipe Master. That stood in front of Leena, the canopy open. And the look on Naomi's face as she stood up in her seat was truly frightening, so much so that Altiel lost control of his bladder.

The hiss of an opening cockpit broke the quiet that had fallen, just before Leon's voice cut through the air.

"Let them go. Now."

The guards that sat either side of Sarah leapt out, dropping their weapons as they ran. The driver of the jeep stepped out slowly, before offering his hand to Sarah. Grateful, she took as she climbed out the jeep, still holding the small bundle that was Janet Hunter.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry about this. All of it." He told her. Sarah's eyes widened slightly as she looked at him, before she took a step towards Leon's zoid.

"NO!" Altiel yelled, finally breaking free of the paralysis that had gripped him. He grabbed a pistol from his belt as he stood, spinning round towards Sarah. "I refuse to…"

The snap of a zoids jaws shutting cut him off. Altiel suddenly found himself lifted off his feet and hanging by his collar. The gun fell away as he flailed about, fear running rampant in his eyes. "HELP! PUT ME DOWN!" He screamed in total panic.

Laughter filled the air as the two teams took in the sight of Altiel swinging from the jaws of Miranda's Rev Raptor. She had snuck in behind him while his attention was fixed on Naomi, and when he pulled his gun, she had acted. "Nice work there, Schubaltz." Cassandra told her.

Leon quickly climbed out of his zoid to embrace Sarah. The two of them held each other close, relishing the feel of each other in their arms. "Oh Sarah! When I learned what happened, I…"

"It's okay, I'm here."

Meanwhile Naomi held onto her daughter, having jumped down herself. She gazed down lovingly into her daughter's face, who was as cheerful as ever. A broad smile lit up both their faces as Naomi turned away from everyone. She talked to Janet, speaking sweat nothings as she renewed their bond.

"Oh, how sweet." The cold, cruel voice boomed across the gathered zoids, startling everyone. "Doesn't it just make your heart weep?" The voice carried on sarcastically.

"You have a heart Albane?" A second voice, familiar to all, answered the first.

Heads turned towards where the voices had come from. What they saw chilled the blood. Two zoids stood side by side in the centre of the canyon, radiating threat and menace. The one to the left was recognisable to everyone, despite the changes to the forehead weaponry. The Genosaurer roared out a challenge, tiny lightning bolts travelling up and down the four blades of the ELF on its forehead.

The other zoid was completely new. In size and overall shape it was very similar to the Genosaurer, but there the resemblance ended. The head was thinner and narrower, with a definite 'S' curve to the upper half. The forearm claws were blunter and stubbier, while over each shoulder there were squat cannons. The dominating feature however was the huge sail that rose up on the zoids back. As the teams watched they could see the segments that made up the sail tilt back and forth slightly, creating a wave effect. The armour was a dark, brooding green, while the eyes burned a blood red. Everything else was pitch black.

But what was worse were the things that flanked the zoids. Gunmetal grey boxy constructs, burning red eyes in the centre of a square pane, and almost dozen weapons bolted onto the outside of the machine. It took Bit a moment to recall the designation of these things. Headhunters, an older model Cybrid, just like the one that had been carrying the nuclear warhead in that suicidal attack on the Blitz's home.

Cassie stared at the Cybrids, fear pulsing through her veins. As part of her position in the training base, she had learned about the various types of Cybrid. Unbidden, the information came to mind. _'Headhunters. Slow but very well armoured. Two missile bays and eight weapon hard points. In open combat we could have run rings round them. But in this canyon, there's nowhere to run to! We're going to have to slug it out.'_

Miranda found her eyes drawn to the Cybrids, her jaw hanging. Until now she had not understood why everyone in the two teams feared the Cybrids. But now, face to face with these heavy hitters, staring down those multiple weapons and knowing that they were not fake but loaded with real rounds, realisation struck home.

Naomi held Janet close as she ran back to her zoid. She knew that her zoid was the least suited to fighting such heavy foes, and right now she was mainly concerned about her child. Leon picked his wife up to help her into the Blade Liger before climbing while the two Backdraft pilots continued to taunt the Blitz. "It's been a long time Blitz Team, but now I will teach you some manners!" Slater snarled, the Genosaurers head lowering as the vents in the tail opened up.

"Indeed. Time to die…" The sail on the other zoid pitched up on the leading end and the zoid it's self leaned forward until the whole assembly pointed at the two teams. The segments began to wave more violently and over a wider arc. The glowing shell that formed above the arc of the tips of the sail matched the expanding sphere of energy in the Genosaurers mouth…

* * *

**Shadow: **Oh, oh, the stuffings really hit the fan now...

**DR: **Oh yea.

**Zeke: **More Cybrids? This is not good!

**DR: **Correct. Next time it's all out war... till then!


	26. Battle Royal

**DR: **I'm back, with part two of this climatic fight!

**O'neill: **Well then, lets get on with it!

* * *

Chapter 26: Battle Royal 

"SCATTER!" Bit yelled as both Backdraft pilots fired. The particle beam missed them all, only to strike the Hover Cargo behind them. Luckily, Steve had raised his shield in time, and the ravaging energies of the cannon were held at bay by the glowing shell.

Unfortunately, the Dark Spiner's weapon didn't fire a single beam, but unleashed a broad wave front that filled the canyon. It flashed out almost instantly, sweeping across all the zoids before it. As the wave washed over each zoid they were struck by a powerful electromagnetic charge, sending them all convulsing. Their nerves and systems fired uncontrollably, tiny crackling lightning bolt running all over them.

**#Not AGAIN!# **The Liger Zero roared out, struggling to cope with the sudden surge. The others roared out in pain in sympathy.

Albane smiled as the Dark Spiner reset its main weapon, watching the Blitz and Raider teams zoids stagger about. The wave had crippled them, at least for the moment. With their systems scrabbled, they would be easy pickings.

"Cybrid units, engage!" Slater bellowed out, eager for blood.

The Cybrids all responded at once, their artificial voices cold and heartless. **"Affirmative." **Then together they opened fire, sending a hail storm of laser beams and cannon rounds into the teams. Vega, Derek, Cassandra, Stoller, Bit and Leena found themselves each under fire from a Cybrid. As they were buffeted around by the incoming fire, the rest of the team suddenly found themselves engaged by over a dozen smaller Cybrids. Small box like bodies with only five weapons, they still were dangerous foes.

High above, Jamie and Pierce looked down into the canyon in horror. They had dispatched the last Zabat in time to witness the energy wave that swept over the rest of the team, and now they could see the forces that their friends and family were facing.

"We have to help them!"

"How? The wind shear near the top of the canyon is picking up. We try to fly through that and we'll be the ones needing rescue."

Jamie slumped in his seat. Pierce was right: it was too dangerous for them to get close enough to affect the battle below. He opened his mouth to reply… but then someone replied for him.

"Aww, feeling left out are you? Well I've got the perfect solution for that…"

"Rico…" Pierce breath pure hate.

Both Blitz flyers watched as another aerial zoid came up towards them. But this was no Zabat, but a full Salamander, armed to the teeth and boosting massive armour. Over the comm Rico's smug face appeared, his blood red hair creating an evil halo around his head.

"Time for a little rematch Pierce…" He cackled cruelly before the comm switched off and a battery of guns along the leading edge of his zoids opened up.

"Break!" Jamie yelled as he put the Raynos into a zoom climb, while Pierce rolled away. They acted just in time to avoid the stream of cannon fire that filled the air where they had been. Rico turned after Pierce.

x x x x x x

Down in the canyon, the two teams were pulling themselves back together. Once the ringing was gone from its head, the Iguanosaur roared in outrage. Outrage that Leena felt wholeheartedly. "You'll pay for THAT!" She snarled, skipping the zoid to one side, evading the stream of fire from the Headhunter that dogged her. A bleeping on her central MFD drew her attention down to it, where she saw two words. Two words which filled Leena with a savage glee and caused an evil grin to split her face.

The Headhunter that was assigned to attack her tracked her movement, and was zeroing in to fire again. Since it was an artificial intelligence, the fact that the zoid had stopped moving and had brought all weapons to bear was deemed irreverent. That is until its sensors screamed out target lock warnings.

"TOTAL ASSAULT!" Leena yelled as she cut loose with nearly her whole arsenal. The kinetic force behind such an attack pushed the Headhunter back as its shields struggled, and ultimately failed, to hold back the punishment that she inflicted. A second volley of shock cannon shells smashed part the Cybrids armour, and over a dozen missiles punched trough before detonating within. The Cybrid went up in a huge fireball.

Brad smirked as he saw Leena make her kill, continuing to circle his foe. The Ramses Cybrids fire was coming nowhere close as his stealth coating prevented it from targeting him. The Cybrid was force to lead him manually, something that it was just not capable of doing. Brad suffered no such penalty, and his laser Vulcan was ripping the Cybrid apart.

Slater's eyes narrowed when he saw Leena blast the Headhunter away. Cursing, he kicked the Genosaurer into gear and advanced on her. "This time, you will lose Leena Toros!" He yelled.

"That's Leena Cloud Mister!" She yelled back as the two massive zoids charged each other, their secondary weapons stabbing out at each other. At the last second before impact Leena spun her zoid about, swinging the Iguanosaur's massive tail towards Slater. Slater hit his jump jets in response, and his zoid leapt over the tail. His lasers stabbed into her flank, causing the Iguanosaur to grunt in pain. In response she retaliated with her main guns, the massive Vulcans spitting a river of shells at him. Despite Slater's best efforts, he was still raked by them.

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Leena screamed as she saw her rounds not strip off the Genosaurers armour, but detonate on a shield that surrounded the zoid! _'They not only put a Cybrid weapon on that thing, but they also gave him Cybrid shields! SHIT!' _

Meanwhile Cassie used her jets to evade another bracket of laser fire, leaping high up into the air. She could see the Dark Spiner stand back for the moment, watching the battle and occasionally firing off a burst from its shoulder guns. As gravity gained a grip again on her zoid, she watched as the Spiner brought its fin upright again, charged up the shell, and then instead of firing a single wave, started sending out small blasts, aimed at her comrades. "Watch out! That other zoids throwing more waves out!"

Jane had just crushed her targets head in her zoids jaws when she heard Cassie's warning. Unfortunately it came too late as one of the bursts struck her zoid square on. Once more the Zaber Fang was sent convulsing as every circuit was overloaded. Jane cursed up a storm as the discharge burned her hands. As her zoid struggled to regain control, a trio of Ramses turned as one and fired a continuous barrage. The Zaber Fang, blackened and shot full of holes, collapsed with a heavy thud.

Naomi hung back, watching for an opening. After retreating back to the Hover Cargo and laying Janet in her crib, she had returned to the battle. After staking out a rocky outcrop, she began to fire into the Cybrids. Her hyper-velocity rounds punched through the shields around the Ramses units, but only skimmed off the Headhunters.

Bit cursed as the Liger was again forced to leap to avoid the incoming fire. The tight confines of the canyon were really hampering the Blitz and Raiders styles. There was just no room to manoeuvre! Pushing off against the rock wall, the Liger came down hard on a Ramses that was trying to box Leon on. The Cybrids shields had been close to collapse from Leon's laser fire, and they failed to stop the Liger. The Cybrid was driven to its knees, the upper body crushed.

"Thanks Bit." Leon called, wiping sweat from his brow. "I owe you one."

"Just looking out for my wife's brother." Bit grinned. "I'd never hear the end of it otherwise."

x x x x x x

In the skies above, Pierce and Jamie struggled to engage Rico's new Salamander. In addition to the Cybrid shields that it now sported, the huge zoid had clearly been tuned up since it was pulling off moves that it should not have been capable of. Several times both pilots had to break off to evade his return fire.

In his cockpit, Rico was enjoying himself tremendously. Neither Pierce nor Jamie had the firepower to punch through his shields alone, and both were clearly startled by his unexpected manoeuvrability. True he had yet to bring either of them down himself, but it was only a matter of time.

He fired off another burst towards the pair, who had formed up in an attempt to breach his shields. Pierce did the rolling crash dive that the Storm Sworder was famous for, while Jamie again went into a zoom climb. But that was what Rico had counted on, and the tail end of his burst tore into Jamie's zoid. It wasn't a clean kill at all, but it did remove the young upstarts' rear guns and damaged his engines.

As the Raynos turned away leaving a thin trail of smoke, Rico armed his missiles. "Time to end this." He muttered before squeezing off four missiles.

Jamie's head spun round when the missile warning began to wail. Behind him four contrails raced towards him. Acting on instinct, he rolled over and dove for the ground below. The missiles, like sharks after a bleeding fish, nosed over and followed.

Rico began to chuckle, but then a hail of impacts on his lower shield began to ring out. Pierce had pulled up and was lacing his belly with laser fire. With a sigh he nosed down to bring her into his sights, but stopped when he saw her zoids head. She had deployed her forehead laser blade! Realising her intent Rico pulled up again.

He almost made it. The weakened shield couldn't stop the fully charged laser blade, which proceeded to cut a thin line down the Salamanders belly. It flashed right through the belly mounted missile pod, the charge setting off the missiles. Their engines fired for about a half second before the warheads detonated. The explosion tore the pod apart, ripped into the Salamanders belly armour and gave the zoid a huge kick.

Crucially, it also blasted off the shield generator pod on the zoids belly, stripping it of protection there.

However, Rico was too enraged and too shaken up by the explosion to notice the indicator shutting off.

"Oh you bitch!" he snarled before yanking the Salamander around after Pierce.

x x x x x x

As Anna's Blade Liger struggled to throw off the effects of the Dark Spiner's electromagnetic weapon, Derek slammed his zoids tail into the Ramses that was aiming to finish her off. "Someone needs to get that new zoid!" He yelled into the comm.

"He's mine…" Cassie's voice was as cold as anyone, including Derek, had ever heard. "If someone could get this blasted Cybrid off me!"

Stoller looked across towards her blood red Genosaurer. She was pounding the Headhunter with everything she had, and it was clear that it had diverted its rear shields to reinforce the front one. Seeing his chance, Stoller took it. The Elephanders truck lashed out and grabbed a Ramses before throwing towards the Headhunter that was determined to take his head off. While that Cybrid was distracted, he turned his guns on Cassie's foe. His high power lasers sliced through the Cybrids unprotected back, cutting deep into its internals. Something critical was hit, and the entire back half of the machine exploded outwards, pitching it face down in the dirt.

"Thanks." She called, holding the comline open a little longer than necessary before she took off after the Dark Spiner.

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Jacob yelled as his Dibison powered up its special attack. "MEGOLMAX!"

With a bright glare the seventeen cannons on the Dibison unleashed a yellow beam of pure energy. It arced over the battle towards a pair of Headhunters that were firing on Derek and Vega. Just before impact, the beam split apart in dozens of smaller beams that rained down on the two Cybrids. Flame and smoke filled the air and obscured the Headhunters.

When the smoke lifted, the two machines remained standing, but they had not gone unscathed. Their armour was tore apart and most of their weapons were in ruins. The one wavered on its feet, the others body sitting at an angle. Both Derek and Vega took the opportunity and finished them off with a volley of laser bolts each.

But beforeanyone could start celebrating however a Ramses snuck up behind Jacob and unleashed its full arsenal into his zoids rear. With both rear legs shorn off at the hip, the Dibison thudded into the dirt.

Bit cursed as he swiped the head off another Ramses with the Ligers strike laser claws. There were just so many of these smaller Cybrids, it was getting hard to move about! Even the best pilots, when there is no room to manoeuvre, suffer heavily when out-numbered. And over the heads of the Ramses that swarmed him, he could see Leena facing off with that Genosaurer.

Leena felt sweat run down her back as she duelled with Slater. With his new shield she was struggling to hurt him, while the mass of small Cybrids hemmed her in, preventing her from evading all his return fire. She had just managed to dodge an ELF attack, the man-made lightning bolt shooting past her zoids hip to flay a Ramses apart. Again and again her pulse lasers stabbed out only to strike the shield that protected his zoid.

Slater too was getting frustrated. With her weapons fit, Leena was able to keep up a constant barrage of fire on him and now his shields were nearing collapse. Worse, her zoid had a lot of mass and armour, allowing it to withstand greater punishment than any other zoid he knew. This was not how his vengeance should go!

On the edge of the battle, Albane smirked as he watched that fool Slater try to take down Leena alone. He had known all along that he would fail. Slater was an old dog, not what he used to be. Also his zoid was outclassed, despite the modifications that the Backdraft had made.

He had to admit, watching them in action, that the Ultimate X zoids were very powerful indeed. Each one embodied one aspect of warfare. The Liger was grace, speed and agility, the Fury raw power, and the Iguanosaur resilience and flexibility. He made a mental note to have all three zoids sampled after the battle. There was no doubt in his mind as to the eventual winner of this. The two teams were chewing through the smaller Cybrids, but they were slowly falling.

A flash of red caught his eye, and turning he found himself face to face with that red Genosaurer. Both zoids stood still, squaring off. The Genosaurers flanks were pock-marked with laser burns and impact points, but the eyes burned as bright as ever. Deep within his Dark Spiner's core, Albane felt a deep seated hatred of the other zoid. This surprised him, since it was so rare for first generation zoids to feel such passion.

His comm board lit up, and the image of a young woman appeared. Her features were stern and her raven black hair was pulled back in a forbidding hairstyle. Despite the battle her Imperial Captain uniform was unruffled. But most impressive of all was her sea-green eyes, blazing with hatred.

"You know, I should arrest you and bring you to trial…" She said her voice cold. "…But why make a jury suffer the knowledge of what you've done, when I can carry on the sentence here and now?"

Albane raised an eyebrow in puzzlement. "I don't believe we've met before now miss…" He was cut off by a volley of laser bolts that stabbed out from Cassie's back mounted lasers.

"You tortured and murdered an Imperial General, stole Imperial property, and murdered over three-dozen people, most of them trainees! Teenagers!" Her Genosaurer roared in sympathy with her, and the Blitz team looked in shock at her words.

"My, my, aren't you a tetchy one…" Albane smirked as their two zoids circled each other. Around the others continued to fight the Cybrids unnoticed. Cassie then charged in, her zoids jaws snapping shut bare inches from the Dark Spiner's shoulder, its shield the only thing that held her back. In reply Albane swung his tail around, clobbering Cassie on the shoulder. Not to be out done, she fired her lasers again at point blank range, while stabbing at him again with her forehead laser blade. With the Dark Spiners cockpit, alarms warned of the shields near failure.

Underneath his cool facade, Albane felt a tiny trickle of doubt.

x x x x x x

Jamie looked over his shoulder again, eyeing the missiles that had dogged him since their launch. The damage to the Raynos meant that he couldn't simply out run them, and with no cover nearby…

Suddenly he got a wild idea, worthy of Bit. He dived for the canyon, waiting until the last possible second before pulling up with all his strength. The Raynos shuddered as it brushed the region of intense wind shear, but it remained in the air and achieved the manoeuvre he required.

The missiles were capable of achieving the same stunt, but with their higher speed they required more space to do it. However space was something they ran out of.

Each one barrelled into the danger zone. The deadly high winds took a hold and tossed the missiles completely out of control. Tumbling wildly, they all were thrown dozens of meters before slamming into the rocky ground.

Jamie released the breath he had been holding when he saw the four explosions. Turning his eye back upwards, he saw the silver streak that was Pierce dancing around trying, and failing, to shake the dark monster that was Rico's Salamander. A frown crossed his young face as he kicked in as much power as he could.

"That's it. You're going down…"

x x x x x x

Back in the canyon things were going from bad to worse for Cassie. After her surprise charge which nearly smashed The Dark Spiner's defences, Albane had gotten the upper hand and was punishing her relentlessly. The Dark Spiner was that little more flexible and agile than the Genosaurer, and his shield was deflecting the bulk of her fire. His shoulder cannons raked her again and again, but they lacked the punch to really do harm.

Around the two of them the Cybrids were falling faster, as with each one that fell, the Blitz gained a little more freedom of movement. Only one Headhunter was left, and it was reeling from Strollers attack that threatened to break through its shield.

Cassie however was oblivious to the gains the teams were making around her. All her attention was focused on the Dark Spiner, piloted by the man who had killed General Boyd, murdered all those trainees… A red mist had deceased across her vision and she fought on impulse, no longer thinking.

Suddenly Albane swept his zoids tail at her legs, and the Genosaurer fell flat on its face. Cassie's head hit the forward controls hard enough for her to see stars, and the zoid had the wind knocked out of it. Looking up in a daze, she saw the Dark Spiner's sail pitch up till it pointed at her, the panels waving more violently once more.

"It's been fun, but now it's time for you to die. After all, I have to conquer the world, and restore my families name to its rightful place as Emperor of Zi…" Albane mocked her as the charge built up to full…

* * *

**DR: **Yes I know, another cliffe! Surely you all know by now that I always get them out of these situtations hale and hearty? XD Just two more chapters to go...

**Shadow: **And trust us, Albane, Rico and Slater will each get what they desvere...


	27. Endgame

**DR: **I know you've been waiting with baited breathe, but here it is, the last part of the battle!

**O'Neill: **So... the bad guys are going down now?

**Teal'c: **Indeed.

**O'Neill: **Excellent.

* * *

Chapter 27: Endgame

A flash of dark red zipped past the rear of the Dark Spiner, and suddenly the evil zoid twisted and fell. The discharge missed Cassie's prone zoid and blasted across the canyon to envelop a pair of Ramses. Both Cybrids froze, the electrical corona playing havoc with their systems. It was so intense that the weapons misfired and ammo cooked off. Both Cybrids were torn apart by internal explosions.

"WHAT!" Albane yelled as he righted his zoid. Turning his back to Cassie, he looked about for the zoid that had caused him to stumble. His jaw dropped as his eyes alighted on a Rev Raptor that stood defiantly before him. For a second he just stared, before he broke into laughter. "You dare challenge me, little one?"

"Size isn't everything you maggot!" Cassie was stunned to hear Miranda's voice snapping back at him before she jinked her zoid out the way of his cannon fire. During her time with the Raiders, Miranda had been forced to learn fast, and the one thing she knew that her zoid could do was dodge.

"Gah!" Albane snarled as the tiny zoid evaded his fire for the fifth time. "Stand still you little pest!"

From her position near the ground, Cassie was stunned at how Miranda was making her little zoid dance and jink about, constantly evading Albane's fire. It was clear even to her stunned and battered mind that the cadet had become a worthy pilot. Shaking her head to clear the ringing in her ears, Cassie began to urge her Genosaurer up.

Across the battlefield, Bit crushed a Cybrid that had snuck in close to Michael and had threatened to take his Gordos apart. Looking around, he was stunned to realise that they had almost won. Nearly everyone was still standing, and only a few Cybrids were still active. The only serious threats left were Slater and Albane.

His eyes were drawn to Leena, where she continued to duel with Slater. His shield had failed a few minutes ago, and now her fire was chipping away at his armour. But Slater was not done yet. With a roar of rage the Genosaurer leapt up onto her zoids thigh, the fore claws digging deep into the damaged armour. A powerful kick crushed the laser turret on that side, while the jaws clamped around one of the Vulcan barrels. Leena tried to buck him off, but Slater's zoid was too heavy.

"Someone give me a hand here!" She yelled into the comm, her voice cracking.

Bit tried to get there, but a Cybrid got in his way. Luckily, Anna was free and much closer. With a roar, her Liger leapt at the duo, laser blades deployed. She slammed into the Genosaurers hip, the impact knocking him clean off Leena, while a laser blade sliced off his pulse lasers. All three zoids tumbled for a second, but it was Slater that got up first.

"Oh you'll pay for that!" He snarled, before he unleashed the ELF. The discharge flayed into the Blade Liger, digging deep into the zoids body.

"NO! ANNA!" Derek cried in horror as he saw Slater lash out at his family. His rage and pain caused the Ramses he was fighting to be crushed flat by his zoid landing on its head, the legs telescoping into themselves as they tried and failed to take a weight they had never been designed to take.

Once the weapon had run out of charge, Slater brought the Genosaurers head down to peer into the cockpit. Within, he could see both people still alive and moving. Shrugging, he began to charge up the weapon again, this time aimed at the smaller zoids cockpit…

"Hey!" Leena's voice called out, and Slater looked up… straight into the barrel of the Iguanosaur's hybrid cannon. His blood ran cold at the sight of that weapon again.

"NOOO!" He screamed, diverting power to the charged particle cannon. But it was already too late as Leena fired. The beam lanced out to strike in the back of the Genosaurers mouth, right where the power conduits that fed the ELF diverged from the main gun. Her shot burned through the casing around the cables, shearing them all together. It then burned out the back of the zoids neck to strike the cliff behind him.

For a half second the Genosaurer remained like that, a hole burned right through the back of its head, threads of electricity dancing around the edge. Then the whole zoids head exploded outwards in a fireball, before a chain reaction of similar explosions ran down the zoids spine, culminating just above the zoids hips.

The headless Genosaurer thudded into the dirt, the ragged edges where the head used to be part molten. The entire spine was blown out, the armour blasted apart.

As Vega smashed another Cybrid into scrap, Bit walked the Liger over to stand besides the Iguanosarur, which now hung its head and rested on the ground. "Leena, you okay?" He called, anxious.

"I'm okay…" She breathed, pushed locks of sweat soaked hair back. "What about you?" Her words were not directed towards Bit, but to her zoid.

**#I'll be fine. Just give me a few…# **

**#Take you time…# **The Liger growled. **#We can handle it from here# **

Was it Bit's imagination, or was there affection in the Ligers words?

x x x x x x

Rico was loosing his cool now. Pierce was staying just ahead of his sights, and despite the loss of her partner she was refusing to give up. She was going to lose, surely she could see that!

Pierce for her part was gasping for air. She had tried every trick she knew of the throw Rico off her tail, but he had remained there like glue. Some of the wilder tricks she daren't risk, not since the last one where he had fired every weapon he had, filling the air around her with fire. She had been force to break off the manoeuvre, right back into his sights. Slowly he had been bringing his other weapons to bear, boxing her in. Soon there would be nowhere to dodge to…

Rico smiled triumphantly as he finally got her right where he wanted her. Stroking the triggers, he began to fill the air around her with laser bolts and tracer, hemming her in. He didn't care how much ammo he used to bring Pierce down, just as long as she fell from the skies.

"Goodbye Pierce." He told her as his finger closed on the last trigger.

Suddenly a hail of laser blasts cut into his unprotected belly, stabbing deep into the Salamanders body. With the shield gone and the armour torn away by the earlier explosion of the missile pod, the lasers power went right into the zoids internals.

Pierce was stunned when Rico's fire fell away, but she was even more surprised, not to mention relieved, when she saw the source of the blasts that were tearing into the giant behind her. Tears formed in her eyes as a smile split her face.

Jamie's Raynos rose out the hazy cloud below like a phoenix, his weapons blazing. Blackened chunks of zoid parts began to fall away from within the gaping hole in the Salamander, and the titan slowed almost to a stop.

Rico stared at the display in shock as the Salamander began to slide to the right, the systems dieing around him and gravity taking control. _'How? How is he still flying?' _echoed through his mind as the Salamander began to fall.

Jamie jinked to one side as the other zoid began to tumble, spinning downwards in a cartwheel. He paid it no mind as he cruised on to fly alongside Pierce's Storm Sworder. "Hey."

"Hey." Pierce replied, her tone filled with relief. "Nice entrance."

"I'm sure he appreciated it." Jamie quipped as below a massive fireball marked the crash site of the Salamander.

x x x x x x

Down in the canyon, Albane was really beginning to lose it. The little Rev Raptor continued to evade the worst of his fire, and from his quick glance at his commands status screen, the others had almost finished off his Cybrid units. Even Slater was down, what seemed like half his zoid blown apart.

Snarling in frustration, he began to charge the electromagnetic wave weapon once more. Adjusting the settings, he set it to the broadest possible arc. It would only affect other zoids for a short time, but it would be enough.

Cassie hoped that her foe would not notice her zoid right now, since she was really not capable of mounting a serious defence. The tail swipe had damaged one of the ankle joints, preventing her zoid from getting upright. She was forced to drag herself towards him, keeping quiet. But when she saw the sail flip up again, she scrambled for the radio…

…Too late. Albane discharged the weapon, the wave filling the canyon once more. All the active zoids and Cybrids stumbled and staggered as if drunk, the low level EMP scrambling their senses. Miranda's Rev Raptor tripped as it lost coordination and fell hard. Miranda herself fell awkwardly, and something in her arm gave. Biting down on a scream of pain, she looked up to see the now battered and scarred Dark Spiner aiming both its shoulder cannons at her head. Clearly he was planning to take her out, permanently. But then she saw Cassie's Genosaurer almost directly under the zoid…

Cassie knew it was now or never, but what to do? The pulse lasers would not do enough damage, and the particle cannon would take too long to charge. Plus it would give her away before she could strike. Looking up at the lower jaw of the Dark Spiner, her eyes settled on the long laser blade that projected from her zoids head…

Albane smirked as he sighted in on the Rev Raptor, making sure to place the reticule over the cockpit. Once he finished this annoyance off, he could then deal with the rest. A few more EMP waves would shut them all down, allowing him to finish them off at his leisure.

A sudden bright glow from below was his only warning before Cassie made her move. With the Genosaurers head pitched up, she had got the zoids good foot beneath her. At her command, the laser blade had gone active and she had driven it upwards into the lower jaw of the Dark Spiner. Her move was only stopped when her zoids muzzle contacted the Dark Spiner's neck. She couldn't see it, but the end of the blade was sticking out of the top of the other zoids head.

Albane could only stare at the glowing metal thing that had come out of the cockpit floor just before him. There had been excruciating pain as it had struck him between the legs before driving deeper into his body. Now all he felt was cold. He coughed, and a trickle of blood ran down his chin.

"How could this happen? I was supposed to rule Zi. I was…" His voice faded away as darkness embraced him. Around him, the cockpit controls faded too, and the Dark Spiner went as limp as Albane himself was now.

Cassie felt the dead weight of the other zoid, and realised that she had taken him down. Twisting her own zoids head, she managed to get the Dark Spiner to slide off the end and crash down besides her. For a moment all was still, before the Genosaurer tipped its head back once more and bellowed a cry of victory to the sky. Behind it, Derek's Genosaurer echoed the cry, just before the Fury, Liger Zero and Elephander added their voices.

x x x x x x

Several hours later Bit sat watching the last of the Backdrafts personal being led into a ZBC Whale King. Off to one side stood Mnementh, his presence making even the hardest Backdraft people quake in their boots. All of them decided to go quietly, after the one who tried to run for it only for Mnemenths fore paw to land around him, the three huge claws penning him in

Leena sat besides Bit, leaning against his shoulder. Brad and Naomi had disappeared inside to be with Janet again, determined not to let her out of their sight ever. Off to one side Bit could see Leon and Sarah holding each other, Vega slightly to one side.

"I've got to hand it to you, that was some fine fighting form you showed in there." Bit turned his head the other way to look at Christian as he stepped over to the young couple. Trailing just over his shoulder Bit noticed the ZBC Commissioner himself.

"Thanks." Bit felt a wry grin form on his face. Having praise from the warrior from Earth itself who had lasted so many hundreds of years was indeed high praise! "We did what he had to do."

"Indeed. As did I."

"Huh?" Bit wondered just what Christian had meant by that until he saw Samantha trot over. She was dressed as before only she had on a black form fitted body armour suit and her hair was ruffled as if she had been wearing a hat. She stopped before Christian, a large data disk in her hands.

"You got it?" He asked, his eyes on the disk.

"Oh yes…" She answered, a twinkle in her eyes. "All of it. Their entire database."

"What are you talking about?" Bit asked, more than a little confused. Sam turned towards him as she handed the disk to Christian.

"When you guys attacked, I snuck into their base." She told Bit while Christian, having pulled a portable computer from inside his coat, was bringing up the data on the disk. "During the confusion, it was easy to make my way to their central computer core and download their entire database." She jerked her thumb towards the two men, who were talking in lower but excited tones over the data that came up. "The lists of all their contacts, every hidden site, the names and bank codes for everyone who supported the Backdraft, it's all there."

Bit's jaw dropped.

x x x x x x

Away from the others, Cassandra Cortez watched as the ruined Dark Spiner and Genosaurer were lifted into the belly of an Imperial Cargo Hammerhead that had flown in to retrieve them and her. Both zoids were totalled, and were going to require a lot of work before they could be used again, but at least she could report to the tech division that the Dark Spiner project was a partial success. They had had great plans for the zoid, but it took a live combat action to learn what really worked and what didn't. Still, the main system worked perfectly.

She looked across to the body bag that lay close to the boarding ramp. Contained within were the remains of the pilot of the Dark Spiner. She hadn't meant for him to be skewered on her laser blade, but she knew in her heart that he was simply too dangerous to leave alive, even in prison. No, better for everyone that he was dead and would be buried in an unnamed, unmarked grave, forgotten. A fitting end for someone like that.

"So, you're heading back to the Empire now?" Strollers voice made her turn to the other side towards him. He stood as ever tall and straight, his face betraying nothing. The only movement was some of his steel-grey locks tossed about in the wind.

"Yes. It is my home, at least for the moment." She had to admit, Europa did have some advantages over Nyx, the land of the Empire. Warmer climate, plenty of open space, and certainly less mountainous. Also the ease of moving about was a bonus. Within Nyx movement between the settlements was not common, a legacy of past Emperors who had been obsessed with national security and control. The current Emperor was trying to break down those barriers, but it was slow going.

And of course, there were the zoids battles. After sitting on the sidelines of many a match during the last few weeks, she had grown attached to them.

But there was something else… something she was not comfortable thinking about. "So, you think things will quieten down for you now the Backdrafts gone?"

Stoller shrugged. "Maybe, for a while, but the Blitz does seem to… attract things."

"Yeah, I noticed." For a long moment the two of them stood together, an uneasy silence between them.

"Will you be coming back?" Stoller asked suddenly, almost in a rush.

For a second Cassie felt herself short of breath. Did he really say that? "I don't know, maybe. Depends how things settle down back in the Empire." All of a sudden she noticed how close the two of them had become, barely a foot apart.

"Well…" Stoller said, his voice trailing off. For another long moment they stood together, looking into each others eyes. Cassie swore that something flash through his, before he stepped back. "I'll see you around then." He then turned and walked off briskly. Cassie didn't know why, but sudden she felt saddened about that.

"Nice one captain." Miranda commented as she stepped up besides Cassie. "You just wasted a perfect chance."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Miranda rolled her eyes. "You had the perfect chance to kiss him, and you blew it!"

"I… What? Why would I want to do that?" Cassie couldn't help the blush that spread across her face.

Miranda looked at her from under a raised eyebrow. "We've all seen it. The way you two act around each other. The way you talk about him…"

"Is there a reason you're here, cadet?" Cassie snapped, cutting the younger woman off before she could carry on. Her sharp question brought Miranda up short.

"Oh, I er… was wondering if you would allow me to stay with the Raiders." Miranda had the nerve to look sheepish. "I mean, I would like to stay with them, hone my skills…"

"Oh all right. It'd be worth it just to get you out of my hair." Cassie sighed. Technically she would have to check with her commanding officer, but since General Boyd and most of the other officers were dead, she was the de-facto commander of the training base. Not that there was much left to command since the Dark Spiner was stolen.

"Great!" Miranda cheered as she turned about and ran towards the Raider Hammerhead. Cassie watched her go before shaking her head as she stepped into the waiting Imperial transport.

_'Was I ever that young?' _

x x x x x x

High up on the upper balcony of the Hover Cargo, Pierce watched the clean up operation tiredly. The ZBC teams were slowly gathering up the ruins of turrets, zoids and Cybrids, all to be processed and reused. Most of the zoids would be repaired before being sold on to teams, while the Cybrids would be melted down to make spare parts.

Pierce smirked in amusement when she saw Altiel being carried into the Whale King that was transporting the prisoners. When Slater, that other guy and the Cybrids had attacked, Miranda had dropped him, without putting him down first. As a result he was suffering from several broken bones, including both legs and his spine. It was almost certain that he would never walk again, and he would need life support to survive. Slater was in worse shape. The chain reaction of the Genosaurers charged particle cannon exploding had exposed him to a massive dose of charged particles, causing extensive brain damage. While the small dose that Harry Champ had suffered had turned him more violent, in Slater's case almost all of his brain functions were ruined. From now on, he would be little more than a vegetable.

Rico's body had been recovered from what was left of the Salamander. It appeared that he had tried to eject, but the forces induced by the spin, as well as the power loss from Jamie's attack, had caused the ejection system to fail. There was not much left of the zoid, just a crumpled mess that was turning to stone. It looked like the head and neck had been bent back onto them selves and buried into the left wing. It was hard to tell with all the damage.

A gentle touch on her arm made her look down, to see young Jamie standing besides her. He too looked out at the ZBC's people scurrying around. "At last it's over." He sighed.

"Yes it is." She agreed, turning her head to look once more. She slid her arm round his shoulders, drawing him in closer. "I didn't get a chance to thank you earlier for getting Rico…"

"Well…" Jamie fidgeted "…Here's a way to do so that better than words." His voice was strange, as if he was struggling to control his emotions. Under her arm she felt him twist towards her, and realised that his right hand was before her.

She looked down, only to gasp in shock. Sitting in the middle of his outstretched palm was a small velvet box, and within it was a gleaming ring. The band of silver was thin and a weave of thin strands woven together to create an airy construct. Dead centre of the top was a gleaming turquoise jewel, with the silver strands wrapped around it, holding it in place.

* * *

**Zeke: **Did he just...?

**Teal'c: **It would appear so.

**DR: **Hope you're all satisfied with the fates of the evil four XD. And this nicely wraps up all the loose ends. Well, those on Zi anyway... (evil grin)

**Shadow: **So is there any more?

**DR: **One more chapter for this, and a few more for my BSG story. After that, it'll be time to work on the third part...


	28. Looking Towards The Stars

**DR: **And here it is, the last chapter of this story. I have to admit I've had great trouble writting this one, and not just because of the distastful events within. Hopefully when I do part three, it'll be more along the lines of 'Legacies'.

**Shadow: **So... is there anything exciting this time?

**DR: **Oh there's a bit of bedroom play, some quiet reflections, and big chunk of forshadowing... (evil laugh)

* * *

Chapter 28: Looking Towards the Stars

The wedding of Jamie Hemeros to Pierce was a much smaller affair than the triple weddings of the others in the Blitz. It was held in a small chapel in Romeo City, with only a few dozen guests. Once more Bit was amazed at how many attractive women were in his life, as Pierce cut a stunning figure in her long slinky wedding gown. Jamie at last got his own tuxedo, and when combined with the height he had gained in the last year he made a very handsome groom.

The after ceremony party was small and was set in the Blitz base itself, the light that filtered down from the pool in the top floor creating an almost magical effect on the new-wedded couple as they danced together in the centre of the circle.

It was a much more intimate party than his own wedding had been, and Bit didn't mind at all. Leena once again wore that cream dress that she had wore to the ball before Class S, and Naomi had pulled out the 'Fire' dress again. Seeing them both dressed that way again caused Bit to think back on all the changes that had occurred to the Blitz in the last year. Sometimes it still made his head spin.

Later on, they almost had to force Jamie to leave on his honeymoon. "But guys, the seasons still going! How you guys going to manage without us?"

"Jamie, after everything we've been through lately, don't you that we can handle regular zoid battles by now?" Leon told him. "Naomi used to her own team, and Stollers willing to help with the planning."

"That's right, so there's no need to worry." Bit put in, grinning like an idiot.

Jamie groaned and held his head in his hands. "You always say that, and then something goes wrong!" Over his head Pierce looked at Naomi and Leena with a sad smile.

"That was before, this is now. Now go! Enjoy yourself for once!" Leena told Jamie. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him. "Or do I have to knock you out and throw onto that zoid?"

Given that choice, Jamie relented, and quickly he and Pierce were off on their two week honeymoon. No-one in the Blitz knew where they were going except Sarah, and she wasn't telling.

x x x x x x

"So, where are we going?" Jamie asked Pierce as they stepped into the small cabin of the Hammerhead they were using. One of the smaller breed, normally used as executive transports by heads of state and business. He hadn't seen the pilot before heading to the separated cabin at the back.

"Oh, somewhere which people like us can appreciate." Pierce told him with a devious smile as she sat down on the edge of the bed that now took up most of the cabin. Jamie had to wonder how they got the damn thing in.

"Really? How? Where?"

Pierce's smile widened. "Oh, just a secluded mountain top resort, nice and quiet." She looked at him oddly. "Perfect for those who want to get away from everything for a while."

"Well that can't be too bad…" Jamie considered as he sat besides her. "But what is there to do at a place like that?"

Pierce chuckled. "Dear, we're not going to need to go out to do anything."

Jamie looked at her, the colour rising in his cheeks. "What do… oh."

"Exactly. Now…" She took a firm grip on his collar. "Come here flyboy…" And with that she pulled him to her, stopping his next question with her mouth. As he felt her lips run over his, Jamie let the last of his thoughts go, including the question of why they weren't waiting till they got there to do this, and just let himself go. With one arm beginning to slide up her dress, he gently pulled her down onto the bed.

x x x x x x

Just outside the cabin door, the co-pilot for the flight smiled broadly before stepping back up into the cockpit. As she sat down, the pilot asked her a simple question.

"So, they at it yet?"

"Yes, she's got him to stop asking questions and put his mouth to good use." She couldn't help but grin.

"Yes, I can imagine." His face split into a grin of his own. A grin she knew very well.

"Christian, we're supposed to be flying this zoid! Not making like the newlyweds back there!"

"Well Susan, it was you who gave Pierce the story of the 'Mile High Club'…" His hand left the controls to slide down her arm.

Susan giggled. "Help!" She mock called into the radio. "I'm being molested by a horny old man!"

"You calling me old? What does that say about you?"

"Careful Chris…" Susan told him as she stepped over him to settle on his lap, facing him. "I know where you live…"

"Well, I had better apologise then hadn't I?" He teased as he began to undo the buttons on her shirt.

"Indeed, and you had better mean it!"

Christian smirked as he kissed the skin just below her collarbone. "Oh, I'm sure I can convince you…"

x x x x x x

Back at the Blitz Base, things were quiet once more. The party had wound down more than an hour ago, and all the guests had returned home. Nearly all the Blitz Team members had retired to their beds, though for a while the occupants of two of those bedrooms did not turn in right away. Even Angel was asleep, curled up under the counter in the kitchen, her belly filled with the leftovers.

However, one person in the base remained awake. Vega was once more sitting on the roof, looking out into space. The peace and quiet allowed him to reflect on everything that had happened lately. The terrible dread that had filled the team after the attack on the Champs, the Backdraft reborn, Janet and Sarah's kidnapping, that battle in the canyon, and lastly Jamie and Pierce's wedding.

But it wasn't just these events that filled the young mans mind. The face of a certain young woman also had space there. Dirty blond with pale skin and bright blue eyes, Miranda Schubaltz was certainly someone he was interested in. The fact that her request to remain part of the Raiders Team was a bonus; Vega was sure that they would be seeing a lot of each in the future.

He knew that it wasn't love yet, not like his mother with Leon or Bit and Leena's passion for each other. But Vega was also wise enough to realise that this feeling he had for her could potentially lead to that. He knew he was young, and that he had never felt this way before for anyone. But he was okay with that. Vega was prepared to wait.

Frowning slightly, he bent forward to adjust the telescope, his eye against the view-finder. Slowly he panned across the night sky until he saw an orange blob. Adjusting the focus the blob turned into a wondrous orange and red cloud, a cluster of stars near the core and wisps around the edge. He allowed his eye to linger on the nebula for a time, before slowly panning the telescope again. After passing over the Judge Super Satellite, which looked even more massive in the telescope, he ended up looking in the direction that it was reckoned that Earth lay. He wondered what that fabled planet looked like. As of yet had not summoned the courage to ask Christian about it, as he knew that it was a potentially touchy subject.

'_Some day, I'll know. Some day…'_

x x x x x x

Far across space, a little under thirty light-years from Zi, the Cylon pursuit armada hove to in orbit of the small dead world that Base Ship one-seven-two had found the Cybrid outpost on. To any eye the fleet would have sent shivers running up the owner's spine, but to a Colonial the sight would have been terrifying. In addition to the ten Hades class BaseStars, there were a half dozen Tratulus Destroyers, smaller, single disk versions of the Hades that lacked fighters but had ten mega-pulsar cannons compared to the Hades two. But in the centre of the fleet was a ship that dwarfed even the mighty Hades. It was a triple disk vessel, the top and bottom ones straight from a Hades with a central disk that was fifty percent larger in diameter again. Weapon ports bristled across the ship, and its darker hull plating gave it a much more looming menace.

Deep within the heart of the titanic Lucifer Class Command Ship, the throne room was a dark, quiet chamber. Even during battle very little would disturb the quiet that pervaded the sparse chamber. The only point of interest was the central column atop which the ships command chair sat.

One of the five transparent sets of doors slid open, allowing an IL series Cylon, escorted by two regular centurions, access to the chamber. The whirling of lights within the IL's head began to pulse faster, the only visible sign of the Cylons emotions, if one could call them that. The three stopped at the foot of the towering pedestal.

"By your command" The IL series spoke; its artificial voice was cultured when compared to the almost grating tone of the Centurions.

Slowly the chair turned to reveal a second IL sitting in it. But this was no ordinary IL series Cylon. This was Lucifer, designer of the Command ship he now commanded and the IL who had served under the Colonial Traitor Baltar. It was rumoured that his time with the human, although allowing him an insight into the human mind, had made Lucifer rather… erratic. Unstable would also be suitable. Neither was a term that Cylons were comfortable with when describing their own.

"Speak Lazare. What have you to report?"

"My lord, we have finished our preliminary investigation of the data the Cybrid central consciousness handed over to us, and our analysis of the Cybrid combat units provided."

"And?"

"Considering that these Cybrids were originally made by humans, they are remarkable machines of war. Their weapons and armour are primitive, but they do have solid construction and an incredible ability to be able to make a whole functional unit out of the wreckage of several destroyed ones. The interchangeable weapons allow great tactical flexibility, and their defence shields are quite remarkable."

"So the data confirms that they were made by man?" Lucifer wasn't sure if he was ready to accept this fact.

"Indeed." Lazare continued, not noticing Lucifer's tone. "In fact they have stated that the humans who created them were from the planet called Earth, the so called thirteenth tribes' home."

This was most troubling. If the thirteenth tribe could create such combat machines years ago, what were they capable of now? "Did they give an indication of how advanced the human are now?"

"Not enough to be certain. But they did claim that during the final battles, their legions did destroy almost all the technology that created them on Earth, and once their master was destroyed, a failsafe system in those units that were not sent out into space to escape meant that nothing would be left for the humans to recover."

Lucifer sat back in thought, allow all this new information to run through his processors. This news was disturbing, but not disastrous. While the Cybrids were formidable for their technology, the Cylon Empires own technology was far superior in all but a few areas. The humans of the Thirteenth Tribe had no interstellar ships of note, certainly nothing that could challenge a Base Star. Still, it was troubling.

"Did the data include the location of Earth?" It might be easier to eliminate Earth before the Colonials got there, thereby destroying the Colonials last hope before riding them from the universe.

Lazare hesitated, a bad sign. "Not exactly."

"Oh?" _'That sounded like Baltar. I spent far too long with that human.'_

"The data has a vector towards a planet were this command elements master located humans. This unit was sent out to stockpile combat Cybrids in the event the master was defeated. The carrier signal that originated from that master unit cut off just before base ship one-seven-two entered orbit. There is a second vector from that planet to Earth."

'_Hmm, not so bad then. We can wipe out the colony, learn how to beat these 'Thirteenth Tribe' Humans, then move on to Earth… What kind of name for a planet is that?... and destroy it before the Colonials get there.'_

"Very well, return to your labs. Develop the Cybrid shield technology to the point were we have shielded Raider and warships. Also see what other areas the Cybrids are more advanced and provide upgrades for our systems. Concurrently, I want to see some new Cybrid units brought up to our technical level." Lucifer paused for a second, considering the last item on his mind. "And have the Cybrid central consciousness brought before me."

"My lord, the memory systems used by the Cybrids is very inefficient. It would be impossible to bring the Cybrid Command Element to you without integrating it with the ship itself."

Lucifer sighed mentally. "Then integrate the Element with the ship. Just make sure it can't take complete control of this ship." _'Oh dear, that sounded even more like Baltar. Once these humans are destroyed, I'm going to have my memory selectively erased. I swear the human psyche is contagious!'_

Lazare bowed perfectly. "By your command."

As Lazare turned and walked out of the chamber flanked by his centurions, Lucifer rotated the command chair back around, letting his thoughts drift…

_**The End…?**_

* * *

**Apollo: **Oh... frak!

**O'Neill: **You said it buddy.

**Shadow: **This is not good...

**DR: **Look on the bright side...

**Mal: **There's a bright side to this _hun-dun?_

**DR: **Sure. Their not at Zi yet...

**Bit: **Thanks, that makes me feel _so _much better...

**DR: **Well that's it for now. If you wish to learn what has been happening on the _Galactica_ during this time, take a look at my BSG story, 'Rebuilding Hope.' And for a continuation of this story line, watch out for 'Reuniting The Tribes'...


End file.
